


Might of Fire

by xXAonoNYmouSPXx



Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Age Difference, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Character Development, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Heroes & Heroines, Love Triangles, Older Man/Younger Woman, Secret Crush, Secret Identity, Secret Power, Self-Conscious, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2020-10-19 21:50:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXAonoNYmouSPXx/pseuds/xXAonoNYmouSPXx
Summary: To finish her training as a medic, she goes to study under Recovery Girl while she works as an assistant school nurse at U.A. High. To complete her requirements for her Pro Hero certification, she applied as a Support Hero under Endeavor. Haruno Sakura swore those were her only reasons for going to Japan. Getting involved with their affairs and stirring up trouble for her own however, is definitely not one of them.





	1. Dynamic Entry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Itachifangirl185](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itachifangirl185/gifts), [Multisakublossom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multisakublossom/gifts).

> Sorry I just HAVE to make this fic after reading ‘Vines that you can’t burn’ by Itachifangirl185. Obviously I’m still high on this crack ship!  
Personally, this will be the first crossover fanfic I’ve ever made and the first fic I shipped Sakura with another character outside her anime so this is still uncharted territory for me.  
@Itachifangirl185, Hope this would encourage you to update ‘Vines that you can’t burn’. and,  
@Multisakublossom, Hope you could also update on ‘Persephone’.  
ALSO! A shoutout to @kyoties from Tumblr! Here it is and thanks again for the amazing MightSaku fanart.
> 
> WARNING! This fic contains: MightSaku & EndSaku (and maybe Smut in the future).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura finally arrives at Musutafu, Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED: 4/19/20

With her cheek propped onto her hand, Sakura watched through the glass window with eyes full of excitement. She earned herself a good few minutes of sleep since she boarded the plane and now fully awake, she opted to enjoy the scenery pass by as she waited for her ordered breakfast to arrive. Over the horizon, she could already make out the towering buildings of the infamous City of Heroes. The city so similar yet so vastly different from her own.

The clouds that blanketed her view minutes ago had dwindled the closer they got to the airport and soon gave her a bird’s eye view of towering infrastructures made of steel and glass. The closest she had ever seen of such architecture was in Kiri, but even the Hidden Mist Village looked more like a floating city straight out of a fantasy book for its surrounding interconnected giant lakes. Musutafu City of Japan however, was a literal man-made city. Being entuned with nature all her life, Sakura just couldn’t help compare.

Ever since Quirks were first discovered, five sections of the world had called for their own sovereignty. Each of which became independent regardless of the country they reside in but considered themselves as sister nations. This was due to the difference of ideology that came with the early understanding of the evolutionary trait of humans led by the first of those sovereign leaders- soon called as Kages- and those sovereignties, would be aptly called later as the _Hidden Villages_. Infamous for their secrecy, neutrality and strict non-involvement with the Outside Nations.

But despite their ambiguous background and indifferent treatment with Outsiders, the Hidden Villages and the Outside Nations were tied together by the Treaty of Several Thousand Hands. In its terms, the Outside Nations will recognize the Hidden Villages as independent countries, under the condition that both shall answer to the call of international emergency whether by villains or by natural disasters. Among other things.

Of course, the home which Sakura belonged to, was called the Hidden Leaf Village that shared its continent with Japan.

This will be her first time to visit a country outside of the Hidden Villages. The only exception was when she had to present and patent her invention of instant poison and venom extraction via water absorption at I-Island, but that’s a story for another day. The purpose of her visit this time however, was to finish the last of her studies.

Throughout history, when Quirkology had finally taken its place in the field of science and medicine, it has been found that only a total of ten people of the world’s population has ever been born with the healing quirk, or anything that falls into the regeneration, restoration, and removal of ailments in the living body. With only a probability of 0.00001%, regardless if both parents have healing quirks, and a 0.005% chance of being able to heal others, it’s certainly a dangerous and greatly coveted power greedy hands would kill to get their hands on. As it’s the only quirk that defied nature’s dominion over life and death itself. Also, as much as it is rare, such ability came with a price. For no person that belonged in the H-Type (Healing) quirk category have any offensive and defensive abilities, thus making them viable and extremely vulnerable to threats and completely unsuitable for battle.

Except Haruno Sakura.

Then again, her quirk wasn’t _exclusive_ to healing wounds. But that’s a detail she won’t be disclosing to anyone anytime.

Just like most children, Sakura’s first manifestation of her quirk was when she was at the tender age of four, and was aptly classified as a Super Strength Quirk under the Emitter type. Fortunately, her quirk did not include muscle augmentation so she retained her appearance as a normal girl. The only drawback however, was her body’s excessive use of its stored calcium every time she used her quirk. Ergo food with high concentrations of calcium had forever became a staple of her daily diet.

Apart from her appearance as a feeble, small, and fragile looking girl, Sakura’s enhanced strength was not something worth giving any special attention to as there had been multiple people who had the same type of quirk before. However, what no one anticipated, was the awakening of her second quirk.

Not one year into their careers as (freshly-graduated) heroes, Sakura and her best friends (and subsequent teammates)- Naruto and Sasuke, had a bad encounter with a group of villains. Though low-class, a trio of Gen-ranked heroes who could barely control their own quirks were still no match against them. Needless to say, the three didn’t make it out unscathed, much to the fury of their parents. However, compared to her boys, Sakura made it out with the least injuries- with only bruises and a broken arm to decorate her misfortune while her boys had to be braced and casted due to numerous fractures and injured organs. They weren’t even expected to make a full recovery in _months_. But it was at that moment of despair and self-loathing for being weak despite the name of her quirk did Sakura’s hidden ability awoke.

The image of her teammates, awake and fully healed as if they were never injured in the first place, was something she could never forget.

Needless to say, Sakura’s entire life changed ever since hat incident.

With the news of her healing quirk traveling throughout the higher ups, it was only a matter of time before someone would take her in as an apprentice. Little did she know that it was the Slug Princess who would get to her first and instantly proclaim her as her successor. However, due to the nature of her circumstances, and for the sake of her own safety, the Hokage had issued her case as a Priority 1 Confidentiality until Tsunade deemed her able to fully defend herself and have full mastery of her powers. Still, those closest to her and the high-ranking members of the Hidden Villages, were the only ones who were aware of her double quirks. Not only was it a rare phenomenon but it would be detrimental if the Outside Nations found out her secret.

To the public, Sakura Haruno was a Jou-ranked Pro Hero, and a very talented doctor.

Her master, Senju Tsunade- a master in a variety of styles in combat, had taught her how to fight as well as in medicine. And on the day the student had finally surpassed the master, Tsunade deemed her worthy to carry on her legacy, and retreated back to the haven of Shikkotsu Forest for her retirement. Sakura’s Byakugou Seal was proof of that.

Though Sakura may have officially graduated from Tsunade’s tutelage, she has yet to completely finish her training as a doctor. Ergo, with the permission of the Hokage- the Yellow Flash, Sakura was heading to Musutafu City of Japan to study under Recovery Girl to finish her auxiliary lessons. Like post-graduate courses after college.

Apart from that, Sakura took it as a chance to finish one final requirement she has left to do to become an official hero. Even though she doesn’t _have_ to, as she was technically a support for Tsunade during her years as a student (and the fact that she already has a hero license), Sakura’s nothing but meticulous and seeing that blank space on her record was enough to set off her nerves. For amongst Konoha’s requirements to become a Pro Hero, the Support Hero Contract explicitly states that an aspiring hero must enter a two-year contract under a Pro Hero recognized by the World Heroes Association. Since she’ll be staying at Musutafu for her medical training, she thought she might as well apply as a support to fully complete her documents.

And she already has the very hero in mind.

Of course, she knew the risk for doing such a thing. Which was why she didn’t proceed with her plan without consulting the Hokage and her master first (being best friends with the son of the Hokage really does have its perks).

She’s allowed to carry on with her plan on the condition that she was not, under any circumstances, unless her very life was in unavoidable danger, allowed to disclose to _anyone_ (apart from the only two informed individuals in U.A. High School) that she has _both _healing _and_ super strength quirks.

“Ms. Haruno? I apologize for the wait.”

Sakura smiled at the flight attendant as she brought her the breakfast she ordered earlier. _Flying in first class is really the best._ As she took a sip of her first cup of coffee in Musutafu City, Japan, the optimistic side of her hoped for fond memories and new knowledge yet to learn.

She wouldn’t mind an adventure too.

Her plane landed at the airport at exactly 8:15AM and she boarded the train that would lead her to the heart of the city.

With her luggage in tow, Sakura meandered through the modern station made of steel, concrete and glass as she followed the crowd exiting the station. Despite the high morning sun, Sakura pulled up the hoodie of her jacket over her head as she welcomed her first breath in Musutafu City. She fished out her new smartphone from her pocket and fiddled her finger over screen to order a taxi to take her to the hotel. It was quite the peculiar invention, though Shizune was more than happy to teach her how to use one. Though she’s yet to know what else she could do with her new phone apart from the pre-installed apps. After all back home, the primary method of communication were Fire Hawks and errand Gen-heroes; trains were used to transport raw materials instead of people; and the only public utility vehicles allowed to roam the streets are for the elderly, civilians, and quirkless citizens. Otherwise, heroes were encouraged to travel on foot to promote physical fitness and training.

Sakura managed to book a taxi from her Ober app and it displayed that she had less than two minutes of free time before it could meet her around the corner of the station. That’s still more than enough free time for Sakura to practically skip her way towards the rows upon rows of stalls that sold snacks and quick meals.

“Hello there miss!” greeted the middle-aged man from behind the stall, “Care to have a try of my dango? I guarantee you it’s the sweetest and most chewy dango around!”

Sakura smiled back and ordered herself two sticks covered in syrup.

.

A tired sigh of defeat passed through Izuku’s lips for the nth time that day.

Why, oh why does his mother have to buy something that require it to be claimed so far away? Can’t they just send it through courier? He had to go all the way to the station just to retrieve this… this… jar of exotic spices.

With another sigh, Izuku placed said jar back in the bag it came with- ribbons and all. Apart from the trouble of commuting so far so early in the morning and almost not making it in time, Izuku couldn’t find it in himself to feel _really_ troubled.

A rumor had been circulating that All Might was currently in Japan and it hasn’t been confirmed until last night when the news captured him saving people from a burning building.

The fact that his favorite hero was in his home country was more than enough to cause him immense excitement. Besides, which fanboy wouldn’t?

Just as he put a spring in his step however, screams suddenly erupted amongst the crowd and Izuku turned his head just in time to see a hulking thirty-foot tall brown bear charging towards him. In panic, Izuku screamed and threw himself to the side.

“You think your weak-ass guns could work on me?! You worthless police?!” the bear roared as it abruptly turned and swiped a massive paw at the chasing policemen and speeding patrol cars.

Izuku watched in horror at the sight of both policemen and civilians alike being swept away by massive claws across the clearing that was the shinkansen’s entrance. Blood smeared the pavement as bodies flung around like ragdolls. For a brief moment, a spike of justice hit the young hero until reality washed it away like rain just as instantly. _He’s quirkless_. What can he do anyway? Someone like him, who might as well be just a nuisance, could do nothing in the face of such danger.

Even so… can he really just sit by and watch as people around him were getting hurt?

“The bear’s going after that person!”

“Somebody help them!”

“Hey! Get out of there!”

Izuku snapped from his self-loathing and looked up at the shouts. True enough, there was somebody standing in front of an empty dango stall as the villain towered over them. Even as the people around him shouted for them to get away, the person didn’t budge. Almost as if they didn’t hear anything. The shots fired from the policemen couldn’t even make a dent on the transformed villain’s fur.

“Get out of my way!!!” the bear roared as it raised a giant paw, ready for one clean swipe.

“WATCH OUT!!!” Izuku screamed.

The paw swiped the dango stall into bits and splinters, but there was no trace of a body nor a hint of blood anywhere in sight.

The shock made Izuku catch himself and the villain dumbfounded. Where did they go? They couldn’t have just disappeared. For a moment, he thought (hoped) that All Might had appeared to save the hooded stranger, and his hearty laughter would then resound in his ears. However, what happened next rocked him to his core, both literally and metaphorically.

It happened so fast. That if he had blinked, he would’ve missed it. One moment the thirty-foot grizzly stood on its hind legs, making itself even taller and more intimidating, and the next its head was squished flat onto the ground with a resounding crash and rumble that would’ve simulated a low magnitude earthquake.

He felt like he was watching an action movie as he waited for the dust and debris to clear in silent suspense. Izuku felt his heart beat in his ears as he stared up in awe at the mystery person in hood standing regally atop the villain’s slumped form. Its head was bloody and half-buried into the pavement. It doesn’t take a genius to know that its skull had been fractured from the blow.

“Whoa…” he couldn’t help marvel. _Just who is this person? They’re definitely a hero!_ After all, no ordinary civilian would just recklessly beat up a villain, especially someone so enormous and dangerous, _and in just one blow!_ The law states that in case a villain appears, civilians must take shelter and leave the work to the heroes and the police. The only exception to this rule was if the civilian in question used their quirk in self-defense.

Even so, no ordinary civilian could be _this_ powerful and not call themselves a hero. The only question that remained though, _which one?_ As Izuku wracked his brain on any possible hero in his mental archive that could meet their vague descriptions, the hooded figure jumped down and casually walked towards him.

_E-Eh?! T-T-They’re coming here?! Why?!_

Izuku scrambled in panic until he realized that the person squatted in front of him. With the hood on, he could only make out a pair of feminine lips as they tilted their head to the side as if they were assessing him. He made the quick assumption that they were female until he panicked again when she suddenly cupped his face.

“U-Uhm! E-E-Excuse-!” Izuku stammered. Face red with embarrassment.

“You’re hurt,” she said, and Izuku felt himself freeze at the sound of her voice. Melodic, sweet, and definitely female. Izuku didn’t even realize he was hurt. Probably from when he moved away from the rampaging bear.

He didn’t know whether it was because of the heat that came from being touched by a woman but when the heat on his face increased, specifically on his right, he realized that something was up. That, and there was a faint green glow from the corner of his eye.

The woman’s hand was glowing green. _Glowing!_ But oddly enough it didn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, it felt warm- a welcoming warmth, the kind one would expect to come home to after a long tiring day, and he felt instantly relaxed.

When she pulled back, he reflexively leaned forward as if his body wanted more. How odd indeed. His hand came up to his right cheek, but where he expected to have a faint scar, he only felt smooth skin, as soft as a baby’s.

_Wait, does that mean she just-!_

“You hea-“ he began in astonishment, but stopped himself short when the person suddenly stood up. From his vantage point, he could clearly see under the hood, and Izuku marveled at the sight of emerald eyes that shone brightly against their shadowed face.

She held up a finger to her lips in secrecy and winked.

When Izuku blinked, she disappeared.

From then on, Midoriya Izuku reserved a notebook dedicated to the mysterious green-eyed heroine in the hopes of figuring out their identity.

.

_So much for keeping it low._

Sakura sighed as she continued walking down the street from her hotel. All the while ignoring the looks from the people no doubt staring at her pastel pink hair. Even though other people with brighter, weirder hair colors have popped up over the years, it didn’t matter if she’s in Konoha or in another country, her hair will always catch people’s attention. She’s used to it by now anyway. Hers were a pink hue that artists coveted.

She can almost hear her master’s shrill scolding for her recklessness yesterday. _The dango was just sooo good_ she didn’t notice that there was any danger going on until her own body reacted on reflex. Then the local news reported of a mystery hero that single-handedly took down a villain in front of the shinkansen. Apparently, that bear had been causing quite a ruckus for some time now. Fortunately, the cameras didn’t catch her face thanks to her hood. Still, she chose to stay in her room for the rest of the day as an added precaution.

Well, she supposed that’s one small pebble behind her now. So long as nobody recognized her, it shouldn’t worry her. Though there’s that kid she healed but what were the chances of her meeting him again? She highly doubted he was able to fully see her face anyway.

Now with her back up straight, Sakura made her way through the unfamiliar streets with the map on her phone as a guide.

Luckily for her, Shizune gave her a hefty allowance for both her transportation, accommodation, and food expenses. Not only that, but during her stay here in the city, Sakura will be working as an assistant to Recovery Girl at this U.A. High School as a cover-up for her training. Though she will only be limited to providing conventional treatment, Sakura doesn’t mind. After all, her master had also trained her in conventional medicine. If she’s going to embrace her power as a medic, then she might as well learn all that she can.

Hopefully, if her application goes through, she would have her own steady source of income.

Though her training with Recovery Girl will have to wait. Sakura purposely pulled back her medical training for one year so that she could focus on being a Support Hero. She reasoned that it would be weird and suspicious for a foreigner to suddenly appear out of nowhere and work double time as a school nurse and a support. Especially since both employers of hers were named Pro Heroes. That aspect puts her in a disadvantage especially since she’s from the Hidden Village. Though she’s sure Dr. Shuzenji would understand, she couldn’t say the same for her other boss. Besides, it wouldn’t easily ease her way into her employer’s good side if he learned that she’s working another job on the side. It would give him the impression that she’s not taking her job as a support seriously.

She’s been informed that her target hero was very meticulous about one’s the duties and responsibilities as a hero.

That greater sense of duty and honor was what appealed to Sakura in the first place. Of course, she’s also heard about the difficulties of applying for that specific position but Sakura just brushed it off as exaggerations. Then again, Sakura does love a challenge.

“Oh, where am I know?” Sakura whined as she twisted and tapped on the screen of her phone. The bold-colored line that’s supposed to track her location hadn’t moved for a while now until it suddenly returned her back to the home screen. She shot her head up and looked around for any sign that would tell her where she could be but the names of the streets were still foreign to her.

_Great. She’s lost. But she was so sure she’s on the right track!_

Honestly, trekking the Forest of Death back home would be much easier than this urban city.

The pinkette sighed as she had no choice but to ask for directions.

And as if her cries for help were answered, the automatic doors of a nearby convenience store opened to reveal a scrawny looking, blonde-haired man wearing baggy clothes with a plastic full of his purchase in one hand.

Sakura bolted after him.

“Excuse me, sir!” she called out with long strides and the man visibly flinched. The blonde let out a gasp once she stopped in front of him, “I’m very sorry to bother you, sir, but can you help me?”

The blonde’s shadowed blue eyes struck a chord inside Sakura. His eyes looked so much like her dear friend Naruto’s. Except the man’s have a more piercing shade that was both intimidating and mesmerizing at the same time. _Haa… she hasn’t been here long and she already misses her friends back home._

“U-Uh yes, of course. How can I be of service?” the blonde stammered, his face tinted with red.

“I was hoping if you could tell me where Kariya Street is? I’m not from around here and I think I’m a little lost,” she tilted her head and scratched her cheek sheepishly.

The blonde stared blinkingly at her for a few moments before he let out a small smile, “No, I don’t think you are, miss. Kariya Street is right around this block. You won’t miss it.”

The pinkette beamed, “Oh really?! That’s great! Thank you very much.”

“You’re a foreigner, I presume?” he inquired.

Sakura gave him a polite smile, “That’s right. I just got here yesterday. I’m actually heading to Endeavor’s Hero Agency.”

His shadowed eyes widened at her implication, obviously shocked at her revelation.

“You’re a hero?”

“Yep!” Sakura beamed again. This time, brighter than the last, “Anyways, I have to go. I’m really thankful for your help, sir. See you around!”

With a wave farewell to the nice man, Sakura set her sights towards her destination. True enough, when she rounded the corner to Kariya Street, Endeavor’s Hero Agency loomed above the rest of the buildings. It was hardly difficult to miss. The building itself had an aura similar to what she would expect from a fearsome man like Endeavor.

“May I help you?” the receptionist asked once she came up front.

“Good day, I’m Haruno Sakura,” she greeted, “I sent an application as a Support Hero two weeks ago?”

Behind her desk, the receptionist fiddled with her computer. The clacking of keys sounded too loud for her ears alongside her beating heart.

“Oh, there it is. Ms. Haruno, you applied for the position as… E-Endeavor’s personal support?” the receptionist’s eyes widened and her jaw became slack. The sudden silence that overcame the lobby made Sakura confused.

“Yes?” Sakura confirmed.

The woman stammered as she instructed her to sit by and wait since it appeared that Endeavor was still out doing his patrol.

Well, she supposed she can’t blame them for reacting in such a way. Sakura wasn’t ignorant to the fact that the Second Top Pro Hero of Japan was as intimidating as he was honor-bound. She doesn’t know the full extent of it, but she knew enough that no one has ever lasted more than a week as Endeavor’s Support Hero. All of which resigned too early for reasons being they couldn’t keep up or that he’s too ‘_difficult to work with_’.

_“If you want something, then strive for the best!”_ were the wise words of her master (on another drunken night), and that’s exactly what she’s aiming for.

If Sakura wants an impressive record as a Pro Hero, then she might as well fill it up in gold. The reason why she didn’t choose to apply to All Might’s Hero Agency, was because the apparent number one hero’s presence was sporadic at best and Sakura refused to work as a regular sidekick controlled by the agency. No, if she’s going to be someone’s support, then she might as well be the support of said hero themselves. Right by their side. Furthermore, Endeavor’s difficult reputation only spurred her on to apply.

Sakura was never this ambitious, the younger self in her still dreamed of a peaceful and contented life, but she’s no longer bearing the name Haruno Sakura alone anymore. Her master Tsunade, sister Shizune, her friends and family, her village, and most specially her boys. They were her Will of Fire, they were the reasons why she wanted to be a medic and a hero in the first place, because she wanted to protect those smiles; and to do that, she needed to grow stronger.

Besides, what’s wrong with wanting to learn from the best? Or in this case, second best.

Over an hour later, the automatic doors to the lobby opened and in came the very man Sakura came to see. She wasn’t sure whether he does it by default or if he does it to maintain his fearsome façade but Sakura couldn’t help but stare at the orange-red flames that trailed all over his body and face. Again, another pang of nostalgia hit her as fire reminded her of Sasuke. Last time she checked; her broody childhood friend was working on mastering his clan’s infamous black fire. Also, Naruto had been making leaps and bounds on his wind manipulation quirk.

The muscled redhead stopped midway in his strides towards the elevators as Sakura boldly came up to him. Just like the prideful man she heard of him as, he looked at her down his nose, but despite the fact that the top of her head barely skimmed his flaming chin; her 5’4 easily dwarfed by his 6’4 ¾; Sakura didn’t so much as blink beneath his scrutinizing gaze.

“Who are you?” he asked, voice a deep baritone.

Sakura’s lips twisted up in a challenging smile, “A pleasure to finally meet you, Sir Endeavor. My name is Haruno Sakura and I’m here to be your Support Hero.”

Despite his stoic façade, Endeavor’s flames flared dangerously to incredible heights. So much so that everyone in the lobby scrambled away immediately to avoid the heat. However, Sakura’s gaze didn’t waver; didn’t so much as flinch, as she continued to smile up at him. For within her shamrock eyes was a fire blazing stronger than anything he could possibly create.


	2. The Support Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura proves that she's more than qualified to be Endeavor's Support and she makes her debut as a pro hero in Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments on the first chapter!  
WARNING: BAMF & Mature Sakura  
EDITED: 4/19/20

When her file first found its way to his desk, Endeavor didn’t so much as read past her basic information before immediately casting it away. Though he would be lying if he said that her place of birth didn’t pique his interest.

The people from the Hidden Villages aren’t exactly _cooperative_ outside their sister nations, per say. To put it simply, they prefer to keep to themselves. They have the strictest protocols regarding their internal affairs than any other country in the world. If memory served him right, the last time Konoha worked hand-in-hand with Japan was when a massive tsunami struck the provinces and they provided relief and lent rescue teams for the people, but even then, they only did it out of obligation.

There were hardly any people, if not at all, from Konoha that willingly ventures outside their countries in the first place.

That aside, this slip of a young woman should know better than to just waltz into his company and make such bold presumptions. Either she’s really brave or she’s ignorant to how things work in this country.

_How typical for a foreigner._

It’s been an unspoken rule for years since the start of his Pro Hero career that Endeavor preferred to work alone. He’d tolerate the occasional team up with other heroes when the situation called for it but most of the time, he’s on his own. Those previous supports he hired were just figments of his optimistic past that someone out there could maybe have the capability of keeping up with him.

None of them lasted a week.

It’s not his fault they couldn’t read his movements. If they were half the decent heroes they claim to be, they wouldn’t have caught themselves in his line of fire by accident so many times. Sure, he has a bossy streak and his tenacity’s just as scorching as his quirk, but if they just did as they were told, efficiently and satisfactorily, then he wouldn’t have to scold them so much all the time.

The slot for the position of his personal support was just left open for formalities with the Hero Association. No one has dared to apply for the job ever since.

Not one person out there just seems to meet his standards.

However this time, after ten years of zero applicants, here came a bouncing young woman with a face too pretty for hero work that outright said to _his _face that she was going to be _his_ support.

Honestly, a woman with a petite body and obnoxious pink hair with a quirk of super strength was a juxtaposition that almost made him laugh the first time he saw it. It sounded more like a bad joke however way one looked at it. Yet… here she was. This Haruno Sakura, in the flesh.

Of course, his answer was a solid no, and it _should_ have ended at that but it didn’t.

In fact, she didn’t seem the least bit fazed when he flared up his flames in warning. Whereas every lesser person instantly cowered before him, this Sakura didn’t even blink. She even had the audacity to make a _deal_ with him. Endeavor wasn’t sure what it was exactly, maybe more out of amusement than anything else, but in the end, in an action that surprised even himself, he actually humored the pinkette.

She offered that unlike his previous prospects, she can last more than a week as his support. That she was more than qualified to fulfill the 2-year Support Hero Contract with him. Furthermore, she asked to be assessed in seven days. No more, no less. And in those seven days, Endeavor will decide whether or not she’s worthy of the position. If not, then she promised that he will not see a single hide or hair of her ever again.

Even though there’s no other reason for him to refuse besides the fact that he has no idea who she was or what she’s truly capable of outside the necessary papers given to him. The stats on her profile was more than enough to convince him otherwise; with power being the most overwhelming at 6/5, intelligence at 5/5, speed and cooperativeness at 4/5, and technique being the least at 3/5.

For her sake, he just hoped that she’s as good as they claimed her to be.

* * *

Sakura casted another small smile at the children hiding behind a tree that lined the sidewalks of Mizumachi Street. This was the second time today and the twentieth time since she started her deal with the No. 2 Pro Hero of Japan. Most of the children and teenagers used to look only at Endeavor, but now some of those gazes were directed at her as well.

Okay, she _may_ have underestimated the attention the masses might’ve sent her way for quite a bit- no, it’s actually _a lot_. On the first day, people mistook her for a young, aspiring heroine following her idol hero. Though she could bet that half of the curiosities may have been brought by her hair color. On the third day, someone actually came up to her and asked why she’s always following Endeavor around. It appeared that she was, in their words,_“Too pretty to stalk someone like him”_.

As flattered as she was, Sakura just smiled at the civilian and said, _“Don’t worry, sir. I’m not stalking him. I’m actually Endeavor’s Support Hero.”_

Endeavor later made sure to correct her proclamation, saying that he hasn’t officiated her as his support. In which Sakura replied, _“Not yet”_ with a confident smile on her face before he continued down the road with extra weight on his steps and billowing flames.

Needless to say, the public spiraled from there. On one hand, people didn’t believe that _the_ Endeavor had actually hired a Support Hero after years of going solo. While on the other, more estranged reactions, doubted Sakura’s potential to keep up with the infamous No. 2 Hero.

The Flame Hero was obviously not pleased by her sudden appearance, and the way she matched him with her own stubbornness and persistence only served to irate him even more. It also doesn’t help (him) that Sakura has partial immunity with fire so his explosive episodes don’t work on her and she’s free to approach him as she pleased without the fear of getting burnt. He’s obviously used to doing things on his own. Sakura surmised by that much. They haven’t had a decent conversation for the first few days either. He’s always trying to find a flaw he could use to scold her with and remind her to keep up, even when she’s diligently just at a respectable distance away from him.

Endeavor definitely won’t be warming up to her any time soon- pun intended. But again, Sakura _loves_ a challenge.

It wasn’t until the fifth day that Sakura had the chance to prove herself. An unfortunate gas leak caused a chain reaction that involved three apartment buildings. As ordered by her employer, Sakura focused on saving and retrieving any trapped civilians that couldn’t get out in time because of the fire. It was certainly a great inner struggle for Sakura. Since she vowed as a medic to provide medical care to those in need, but considering the situation of her goals, she will have to compromise. The firefighters arrived in amicable time but the gas caused more than a few explosions that made the buildings weak.

Endeavor and Sakura managed to save most of the entrapped civilians but there were still people left inside. When they rushed back and found the unconscious bodies, the building’s foundations have already started to crumble and they were heartbeats away from being caved in.

Whereas Endeavor had the initial plan of using more of his fire power to penetrate through the falling debris, Sakura had already beat him to it. With one, seemingly effortless punch upwards, the concentrated air from the force of her punch caused a rift that split the entire building in half, and the residual force further broke the concrete and steel into smaller, harmless debris. The people who were present at that time described it similar to the crack of thunder, or even a sonic boom. It even caused an updraft that forced the clouds to rain.

Since then, people began to look at her in awe and it even garnered her a few fans of her own. But what’s most important was that she was able to prove herself competent as a hero to her employer.

_Today though, is the last day of her assessment._

Perhaps her master had rubbed off on her more than she thought. As Tsunade’s apprentice, Sakura had the misfortune of making up for her master’s debts. She learned how to gamble, play cards, cheat her way in gambling rings, and the like. However, this deal she made with Endeavor was a gamble that she had no guarantee of winning. Either way, there’s always her plan B- Best Jeanist’s Agency.

Sakura looked on at the man that was her target hero. As it turned out, he’s exactly what people described him to be except for a few misplaced exaggerations.

His broad, enflamed back was ever present before her. It didn’t take long for Sakura to learn the routes and alleyways around this particular section of the city. By the second day, she had already committed Endeavor’s patrol route to heart. Though it wasn’t that difficult. Endeavor was a man of habit and took the same route every day with only a few detours. He never stopped for waving fans or calling children who begged for his attention and autographs. At first it bothered her that such a high-ranking hero couldn’t even spare the time to indulge in his fans, but that thought eventually quelled when she heard those same fans say that Endeavor’s aloofness and ‘_lone-wolf_’ façade was the very reason why they admired him so much. Apparently, that sort of persona appealed to quite a number of people (even though she researched that Endeavor had a rather low public approval rating from the general consensus).

In her personal opinion, that difference he had compared to other heroes was what appealed to Sakura in a weird, twisted way. Still, it wouldn’t hurt for him to smile a little for his adoring fans (especially the children), but then again, asking Endeavor to smile was like asking for Sasuke to sing and dance.

Well, the day will soon come to an end anyway. So whatever he decided on, she will hold no grudge and respect his decision. Now that she had a taste of what working with the man would be like, Sakura concluded that she would still stand by her original reasons. For the entire week, she had observed him close; Endeavor’s a man with a one-track mind, powerful, commands respect, performs efficiently with purpose, and has a subtle yet strong sense of justice she admired. If she were to describe him in simple words, Endeavor’s a professional among Pro Heroes.

“Excuse me, sir? Isn’t the patrol finished from here?” Sakura asked as Endeavor suddenly turned on his heel to a different street besides crossing the intersection where his agency was. She found this odd since Endeavor’s patrol always start and ends at his company building.

“The patrol is over, but we’re not done yet,” he said without further detail but he casted a glance over his shoulder at her direction, indicating her to follow.

They circled the block until she came face-to-face with a large, arena-like building with a dome-shaped roof. Inside, they passed through long, empty halls until they reached the heart of it.

Sakura shielded her eyes for a moment from the bright lights that covered the circular room and noticed that the only thing worth mentioning were the rows of glass atop the arena meant as the observation decks. They were empty.

She casted her sights back to her would-be employer that took his place on the other side of the arena.

_Ahh… so this is how it’s going to be._

Endeavor cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck as he said, “I must say you surprised me with your competence, Haruno. I didn’t think there’s someone still insane enough to want to be my support. But since you asked so nicely to be assessed, consider yourself honored that I accepted.”

“I am honored, sir,” she replied as she began to unzip her jacket and pull out her gloves from their pockets.

“The thing is though,” he continued and he ignited a new light of bright, orange-red fire to crawl all over his body and eyes. Teal orbs once again observed her in its scrutinizing gaze, “I don’t hire weak people.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m strong then.”

She tossed her jacket aside and pulled on her gloves.

“I won’t hold back just because you’re a woman.”

He widened his stance.

“I sure hope you wouldn’t. Or else I’ll feel really insulted.”

She braced herself.

“Let’s dance, Haruno.”

“Ladies first.”

The first time their fists clashed, the entire dome shook.

As expected, their match was a flurry of fists. With nothing but raw power exuding with every blow. Even though his hands were thrice her own, she met them with the same burning power that he felt through his soul. None of them knew nor realized how long they’ve been at it but honestly, neither of them cared. While Endeavor scorched his own sparring arena with blasts of inferno of varying temperatures, Sakura carved the building with craters and dents that looked too inhuman for anyone else to believe they were done by a petite woman with pink hair.

Endeavor grunted as he was once again pushed back into a defensive position. His arms raised over his head to protect himself from the fury of Sakura’s fists. Each one felt as if he was being hit by meteorites.

If there was any doubt in his mind that questioned the Sakura’s ability to hold up a match against him, there’s definitely none of that now.

Momentarily lost in his thoughts, he wasn’t able to guard properly against a roundhouse kick. Pain radiated across his left from where she hit his side and for a split second, he thought she might’ve broken a rib. He certainly didn’t expect she would come at him with a display of various styles of martial arts. He’s only ever seen her work with her fists, after all.

In that momentary lapse, Sakura pulled her fist back, as if charging up for a stronger blow and Endeavor braced himself for the upcoming punch. He pulled back his own hand and let his fire coat it with the intention of catching her fist but it turned out she wasn’t planning on punching him at all.

Instead, she took a step back and landed her fist on the floor between them. For a split second, her fist glowed green before the very steel and concrete floor from where they stood crumbled and split. Forming a crater that stretched out like a spider’s web until it cracked every wall around them. Even the roof of the arena shook violently and rained down dust and soot.

Effectively, this made him lose his footing and before he knew it, he was on his back with the pinkette straddling on top of him.

The force she exerted to push him down made him gasp and choke out for air. It was then he realized that a couple of his ribs were really broken and he could taste the rusty flavor of blood at the back of his tongue.

As teal eyes widened by a fraction, Endeavor stared up at the slightly panting pinkette with her fist poised and ready to strike. It would’ve definitely been a win in her favor, until a flaming javelin manifested at the last second and aimed directly at the pinkette’s jugular.

For the longest time, their eyes never strayed from one another’s. With the soft creaks and moans of damaged steel, and their own panting breaths being the only ambiance.

Meanwhile, Sakura’s mind raced. One half of her demanded that she continue and teach him a lesson for underestimating her, while the other ordered her to stop and let this unofficial match end at a stalemate. In the end, the latter won. This wasn’t supposed to be a battle to the death anyway.

“Hmm,” the pinkette hummed as she slowly let her fist fall limp to her side. All the while ignoring the stinging sensation she felt on her entire left arm and lower leg. The signs and symptoms indicating that her skin might’ve suffered some first degree burns from the attacks Endeavor unleashed earlier. She may be faster than him compared to his larger, bulkier build, but she wasn’t fast enough to get away from the wide area of effect his flames could reach.

When Endeavor raised his own metaphorical white flag by dispelling his flame javelin, Sakura extracted herself from the No. 2 Hero as she inwardly struggled to fight off her secondary quirk to heal her injuries on its own.

“Why did you really come here?” he asked. Still flat on his back and his teal eyes staring up at his ruined arena. His engineers will have a field day once he calls them in for repairs. It’s about time for a renovation anyway.

Sakura stared at him for a couple of moments, wondering if it’s wise to tell him so soon. “I received a recommendation for special training under a staff from U.A. High School. I also wish to complete my Support Hero Contract for my certification.”

“At U.A. High, huh?” he drawled. Fortunately, he didn’t ask further, but he could guess. His profile did say that she was a licensed doctor. “Why not finish your contract back at Konoha?”

“Konoha law does not discriminate if any aspiring heroes wants to apply as a Support Hero outside the country. So long as the contract is legally officiated by an accredited hero agency,” Sakura leaned back on her hands resting behind her. Her own verdant eyes stared up at the hole in the roof that Endeavor burned not too long ago. It was a full moon. “I thought that since I’m here, I might as well do it. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. I’m already late in completing my requirements as is.”

“Is that why you refuse to show up in your hero uniform? Does the law in Konoha forbid its heroes to do their duty because they didn’t finish a few requirements?”

Sakura chose to ignore his scoff, “Not exactly. I already have my Pro Hero license, but that can only be used within the Hidden Villages. Our law forbids us to use our hero name outside the country. It’s part of the treaty. The same goes for anyone who visits Konohagakure or the other villages. They’re not allowed to call themselves heroes or act as a hero in our countries. But as for me, I’m allowed to use my quirk in Japan as long as I’m someone’s Support Hero. I just won’t be able to use my hero name. And about the Support Hero Contract, I just don’t like a blank space in my documents.”

“Unacceptable.”

Emerald eyes widened at that. She snapped her head towards him and her brows furrowed as he strained to sit up, “Excuse me?”

“I don’t hire no-names, Haruno,” Endeavor looked back at her, “So I guess this means we’ll just have to get you your own Japanese Hero license.”

“But I’m not a Japanese citizen.”

“The Professional Hero Licensure Exam only permits natural-born or naturalized Japanese citizens, however the Provisional Hero License Exam is laxer with foreigners.”

“I am aware of that exam, but sir, I don’t have the luxury to wait until June to-“

“You won’t have to unless you have the permission to take the PHLE’s special exam from your Hokage. Not only that, but I’ll also put up a request for you to the Hero Public Safety Commission. Just make sure you’re ready once they give you the date of the exam.”

* * *

Endeavor tried to keep his body from reacting any further than the petulant twitch of his eye as he watched the president of the Public Safety Commission go through Haruno’s files for god knows how many times.

When he told the pink-haired hero that he’ll need a permission from their Hokage to grant her access to the special exam, he didn’t expect her to come to him the following day with the very documents needed and signed by the Hokage’s special seal of approval. He honestly thought it would take her weeks, or even months to get the permission, considering the Hidden Village’s cautiousness with Outside Nations. Perhaps it’s because she’s a citizen? But when he asked, Sakura just smiled sheepishly at him as said, _“Well, sir, one of my childhood best friends is the Hokage’s son. So you could say Lord Hokage has a soft spot for little ol’ me.”_

Well, at least she’s not one to shy in using leverages with her affiliations. What he didn’t expect, however, was the reaction he received when he turned in the documents and his own letter of recommendation.

“Are you really certain, Endeavor?” asked the president of the Public Safety Commission.

Endeavor crossed his arms over his chest as his flames flared a bit from impatience, “My word is final. Now stop dawdling and get this exam started. I think you’ve made us wait long enough.”

The old woman turned her eyes back once more to the documents before her desk. A retort was sizzling at the tip of his tongue until she finally sighed and stood from her seat. The rest of the board members followed as she personally led the way to the observation decks to watch over the proceedings.

He supposed he could give them a bit of credit. After all, it’s unheard of that _the_ Endeavor would send a recommendation and request for special permission for someone else’s sake outside his family. In fact, this was the very first (and hopefully only) time he would do something like this.

As much as he hated to admit it, he has no complaints about the pink-haired foreigner and that alone says a lot. Even her sass became tolerable over the week and it frustrated him because he didn’t understand why.

For one, she’s polite and obviously professional. She looks young but she knew how to address her superiors properly and show them respect. Just like how she always called him ‘Sir’.

She’s obedient as she was smart. It’s quite ironic that someone who had such unparalleled strength could be such a pacifist. Oh, she’s not shy in breaking down buildings or decimating roads or stopping ten-wheeler trucks with one hand, mind you. From his observations in their seven-days assessment deal, he noticed that she’d rather make use of her situation and surroundings rather than just dive in with her fists raised unlike a certain dumbass blonde Pro Hero he knew.

Endeavor never stopped or dawdled in his patrol around his territory except on the occasional accident or villain causing trouble. Even though his public approval rating was not something to be proud of, it cannot be argued that Endeavor’s territory was the safest in Japan. Why? Because his infamy makes even highly ranked villains think twice in stepping a foot in his domain.

But does Haruno ask him why? No. In fact, the pinkette hardly asks him anything except for his orders, and he appreciates that companionable silence that came with her because hardly anyone knew how to keep their mouths shut nowadays.

She’s the type who, when asked by her superior to jump, would ask how high. To put it simply, Haruno Sakura was the ideal subordinate any higher up would want. She doesn’t ask, doesn’t question, and does everything with flare and terrifying precision. Even when he blatantly refuses or ignore fans for autographs or photos, there would only be a look of disapproval in her verdant eyes but nonetheless, she will keep her silence. She knows her place.

She’s exactly his type.

Career-wise, of course.

(Then again, he’d come to give a blind eye on the way she would apologize and give treats occasionally to rejected, teary-eyed children. Even though he never asked her to clean up after him. Eventually, people would start calling her an angel in whispered voices.)

And the spar that was meant to be his last test for her only convinced him that he’d be a fool to not hire someone so valuable.

Endeavor was a very prideful man, but if he sees something of high value, he wouldn’t think twice of jumping at the chance.

To think, all of this happened over the course of one week.

Endeavor took his seat next to the old president of the commission as their deck gave them a wide vantage point of the simulated arena below. Multiple monitors also occupied the deck’s walls to show them a closer image of the proceedings below.

Well, it was still quite amusing how flustered the PSC got when he suddenly sent them a letter.

The special exam offered by the PSC for those who couldn’t wait for the biannual exams conducted during the month of June and September, was by no means the hardest exam in the Hero Association. The rationale behind it was to deter eager heroes-to-be from thinking that becoming a Pro Hero was an easy task. There were those who attempted to challenge the exam years ago but nowadays, hardly anyone dares to mention it. It’s not that gaining permission was difficult, it’s the exam itself that makes it seem almost impossible.

PSC’s special exam comprised of three phases, the fist being a Rescue test, where the examinee was tasked to save as many civilians (dummies) as they can under a simulated national-level natural disaster over the span of one hour. The second would be the Hero Aptitude test, whereby the examinee’s strength and use of their quirk will be tested against five volunteered high-ranking heroes. While the last would be a written exam with questions ranging about hero policies and laws, and case studies to attest strategies.

Oh, that doesn’t seem too difficult? Well, of course it wouldn’t be.

If only the exam allowed breaks in between phases.

That’s right, the examinee will have to complete _all_ of the tests without recess or a time to recuperate.

Endeavor has no doubt of the pinkette’s strength and ability to strategize. Even that, he could vouch for. When he went to the doctor for a checkup after their spar, the doctor thought he fought a very powerful villain to cause so much damage to his body. Suffice to say he had no choice but to comply when the doctor instructed him to take it easy due to his fractured ribs. His bruises were still sore as well.

The only factor that derailed him from giving her his 100% confidence to succeed, was her unmeasured endurance. The major reason most of the examines fail was due to exhaustion. Only a very minimal few had even made it pass through the second phase. But when he told her that, Sakura’s eyes only burned with conviction and challenge.

Endeavor doesn’t gamble, but if this exam was, he would gladly turn all of his chips in Sakura’s favor.

He watched on one of the screens that showed a close-up look on Sakura’s face. She pulled on her gloves before turning her gaze on one of the cameras. That unflinching gaze of hers made it seem like she was looking right at him. When they gave the signal to begin, she winked and disappeared.

* * *

“I thought I told you to start wearing your hero costume,” Endeavor said as he sneered down at her attire.

Sakura rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and folded her arms over her chest. She actually took offense from his words this time, “And I told you already that we don’t _have_ costumes. Konoha prescribes us standard issued uniforms based on our ranks. Unfortunately for you, it’s against the law for us to wear our uniforms outside of the Hidden Villages.”

Like the stubborn man he was, the redhead crossed his own arms over his chest and practically loomed over her smaller form. Sakura just met his glare head on.

“And just how do you expect me to believe you can do your work efficiently if you don’t have proper attire and equipment?”

She placed her hands on her hips this time, “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve done our deal _and_ passed the Provisional Hero Licensure Exam while wearing civilian clothes and _without_ the use of gadgets. I don’t understand why you’re complaining _now_. I’ve done my job perfectly even before you officially hired me. Besides, I don’t see them complaining.”

She gestured with her chin and teal eyes snapped at the audience they had garnered since she first came through his company doors. He expected her to arrive on her first day of work as his official Support Hero in her costume, like the professional he thought she was, and he had already prepared himself for any exotic features she might present but this was definitely not what he had in mind. It didn’t help that the obvious way his workers stared dazedly at Sakura, especially from his male employees, rubbed him off the wrong way for some reason.

Enji’s eyes further narrowed as he took in her form once again. From her red, sleeveless qipao top that exposed her navel, with the backside that fell to her knees, to her light-colored pants, and down to her dark heels, _just who would think that’s appropriate for a hero to wear?_!

_She looks more like a model ready for the runway than a hero who chases villains down a turmoiled street._

“No one will take you seriously in that,” he argued instead and saw the corner of her eye twitch in annoyance. He must’ve hit a mark.

“I don’t mind. It’ll hurt more once they realize I can kick their asses effortlessly. Sorry to disappoint your hero customs but I’m trained to not need those auxiliary articles to do my job as a hero. In fact, I can still outrun you even if I’m wearing heels, _sir_.”

Endeavor scoffed, “Ha! So now that you’ve signed the contract, you’re finally showing your true colors, _Haruno_. You’re a menace.”

A contented sort of smirk formed at her lips at his words, “Thank you. You know, as much as would _love_ to prove you wrong, we’re already oh, I don’t know, five minutes behind schedule? We don’t want those nasty villains to think we’re slacking off on the job now, do we?”

As she tapped a finger tauntingly at her small wristwatch, Enji felt the corner of his own eye twitch. _The nerve of-!_

“Alright Endeavor, how about a bet?”

He felt his flames flare up, “You dare propose a gamble with your own employer?”

She rolled her eyes, “Oh relax. It’s just a bet. You know? For fun! It doesn’t go against any of terms of our contract, as far as I remember.”

Endeavor stilled. His ire melted away for some reason, “For… fun?”

This time, she smiled a genuine smile, “Yeah. Let’s bet on how many times people would comment on my outfit. If they like it or say that it’s fine for being a hero, then it’s a point for me, but if they say otherwise, then it’s a point for you. Also, in the event that we encounter a villain, let’s race on who can capture him first. You can even use your fire to give you a boost. I’m sure you’ll need it.”

Though peeved by her taunts, amusement bubbled otherwise in his stomach. No one’s _ever_ outright challenged him so casually outside of his position for the No. 2 spot before.

“You do realize you just lowered your chances of winning,” he taunted but Sakura just shrugged her shoulders unaffectedly. He huffed once more and tried to control the way his lips threatened to crawl up in amusement. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this… entertained? “Fine. If I win, you’ll march yourself to the Design Department and get a _proper_ costume tailored.”

“Ah but if _I_ win, you’ll have to do me a favor,” she said with a raised finger up.

“That’s not fair. Your condition is highly ambiguous.”

“Why? You afraid of what I might make you do?” she taunted, “Man up, Endeavor.”

In an instant, the temperature in the lobby increased twice over and sent everyone else scampering out to avoid the heat yet again. Still, despite the obvious ire that frowned his brows, there was a spark behind his teal eyes.

Without saying anything, Endeavor stomped his way towards the entrance. His flames calmed somewhat but a daring smug expression painted his face instead. With one hand, he held open the door while the other made a mocking gentlemanly gesture outside. He bent his waist slightly to further insult her short stature, “After you, _Shamrock Queen_.”

Playing along, Sakura walked forward with confident strides and her chin raised in pride, “Why thank you, _Endeavor._”

By the end of the day, Endeavor learned to never make deals or bets with the pinkette ever again. As for Sakura, she went home with a skip in her step at the fact that she successfully managed to take a selfie with her new boss (Selfie, what a weird word but it’s a term she learned from Burnin- a new friend she made in Endeavor’s agency). He didn’t smile, nor did he look at the camera, but that was perfectly fine for Sakura who only takes photos of events worth remembering. She will definitely have it framed and displayed on her desk back home along with her picture of Team 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why I chose ‘Shamrock Queen’ as Sakura’s Hero name:  
\- Shamrock: Is both a color variant name for green (Sakura’s eyes; and in this fanfic, whenever she uses her quirk/s, her eyes also glow greener for a split second) and it’s a leaf (parallels with the Hidden Leaf Village).  
\- -rock: Sakura can easily break rocks- no mountains with a single punch.  
\- Queen: If you look at the influential women Sakura had affiliations with, Tsunade is named ‘The Slug Princess’, and Chiyo has been dubbed he ‘Poison Mistress’. Now sheWhy not Sakura? She’s basically called the Queen in her fandom.


	3. New and Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura befriends an easily-flustered Toshinori and reunites with an old master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED: 4/21/20

Sakura relished the silence and peace that came from the soft pitter patter of the rain. She had always found a weird sort of comfort in the commonly gloomy weather, and upon her discovery of lofi jazz music, her appreciation for it only got better.

As Endeavor’s Support Hero, Sakura operated on a 9/80 schedule. Which gave her more free time than she’s used to. As a hero of Konoha, her schedule wove around similarly with her peers until she added medical training, which demanded a lot more time out of her. Considering she needed to study literal _mountains_ of medical textbooks and practice hands-on application. As Tsunade’s student, she even has a free pass to work in hospitals and clinics to train herself about the ins and outs of the healthcare system. Her limited free time was only used for sleeping and the occasional day off would be spent catching up with her friends.

Well, there’s those sleepless nights with recon training but that’s an entirely different matter. It’s a bad habit, yes, but working made her feel useful and needed.

It’s not like she has anything better to do back in her newly rented apartment. She had been staying at a hotel for the first few days of her arrival as she was too focused on proving Endeavor her worth to go apartment hunting. She didn’t expect her employer to take the initiative and find a suitable unit for her instead. Then again, that might just be Endeavor’s pride talking since she refused a lodge in his company building.

She thought the loft type apartment was a bit too much though.

Maybe she could watch some TV, browse music, check out the local cuisines Musutafu City has to offer, memorize the rest of the city outside Endeavor’s territory (but Sakura has already done all of that), or maybe she could just make a lazy day out of it and lay around all day, but that’s just not Sakura.

Another reason for her to avoid exposure outside of work was because the Japanese paparazzi had been on her tail hoping to get an interview or something. She didn’t want the attention, heck she didn’t want any attention _at all_ but lately she’s been considering of accepting one so that they could finally leave her alone. Endeavor’s pretty much dumped that decision for her after that incidence with the children the other day.

As if her cries of boredom were answered, Sakura happened to stumble upon a humble little café located a few blocks from a school called Aldera Junior High. It’s located in an inconspicuous space, barely noticeable, a place perfect for anyone who wanted privacy. But the reason it caught her interest in the first place was because the café has the familiar aura of home.

The small tinkle of a bell resonated throughout the quaint establishment when Sakura opened the wooden door.

“Ah, my lady Shamrock Queen! Welcome, welcome.”

The pinkette smiled warmly at the old man behind the counter as she tucked away her dripping umbrella to the rack beside the door. She greeted back, “Hello Sakamichi-san, it’s great to be back.”

The first time Sakura stepped foot in this place, she nearly cried. The café was obviously themed after the Hidden Villages, even if it leaned closely more to Amegakure. From the ceiling and wall lights, to the decorations, the chairs and tables, and the small knick-knacks on the shelves, everything screamed home. Even the cutlery and cups have a village style to it.

_God she didn’t realize how much she really missed home until she took a sip of Mr. Sakamichi’s specially brewed Fire Tea._

The owner, Mr. Sakamichi, was from a family that has a history in the Land of Rain. Despite not living there anymore due to his grandparent’s business here in Musutafu City, he’s always loved and respected the unique culture of the Hidden Villages, and decided to make a small business representing them. Although the café was not that big of a hit with a lot of people, he didn’t mind since he’s already amassed quite enough wealth to support himself throughout retirement.

This shop, he opened only out of passion and hobby in tea and sweet making.

Even now, the café has no other occupant but the two of them but after getting over the initial isolation of the place, Sakura found the ambiance brought by the café to be really comforting. It’s only a bonus that this café was also near the local library.

“Is there any specific treat your taste buds are craving for today?” he asked with that warm, grandfatherly smile of his.

Sakura hummed, “Surprise me.”

The old man chuckled as he proceeded to work for his favorite customer. Her signature as Shamrock Queen hung proudly at the top shelves behind his counter.

Now in the comfort of her oasis, Sakura eagerly went to her favorite spot and practically dived on the oversized bean bag with a contented sigh. To her left stood a large window that fogged slightly from the pouring rain outside. Sakura pulled off her earphones and enjoyed the familiar jazz beat of a well-known Kumo band playing in the background.

She shifted her position around the lush cushion till she found a lackadaisical position that would make Kakashi proud before taking a book out of the safety of her bag. Sakura had always been a book person, always ready and willing to soak up any knowledge she could get her hands on, preferably anything medical related. Even during her training with the Slug Princess, before she was allowed to handle live patients, Sakura would lock herself in her master’s study and just read all day till she sores her back for sleeping on the desk again. Suffice to say Sakura never goes anywhere without a book for her perusal.

Today’s tome of choice would be ‘_Hazama’s Textbook of Quirk Pathology_’, the latest release of one of her favorite medical professionals. The heaviness of the three-inch thick, hardbound book seemed nonexistent to her as she hungrily drank the knowledge of how various quirks affect the human body’s anatomy and physiology, with factors including the person’s age, lifestyle, family history, and history of illness.

To the outsider’s view, anyone would just see a diligent young woman learning about medicine like most university students studying at cafes. It’s just a side of her Sakura hoped would remain separated from her career as a hero here in Musutafu City. She’s ready for the questions no doubt would be coming for her once she starts at U.A., but she just didn’t know how people would react to her contradicting passion and quirk. At least Endeavor didn’t question her for being a licensed doctor.

Hours have already gone by but the rain hadn’t relented on its gentle downpour outside. Neither did Sakura realize until her body made her know of her stiff muscles when she shifted in her seat.

Sakura arched her back like a cat’s, stretched her arms, and wiggled her fingers as she stared down at the progress she had done. She just finished chapter five and will be moving on to the next once she granted herself a minute’s rest.

“You work too hard, my lady,” the old owner commented when he approached her table with a plate of lunch in his hand.

Sakura blushed at the genuine concern in his voice and hurriedly set aside her notepads to make room for her food. This would be the third time he took the initiative to bring her something because she lost track of time when it’s already time to eat.

“Well, these diseases aren’t going to study themselves,” she said with a smile and apologized for the trouble.

“It’s no trouble at all, Shamrock Queen, but I would appreciate it if you pay more attention to yourself.”

“I’ll try,” she smiled a bit wider.

Today’s lunch composed of a hefty bowl of rice and crispy tempura with a bit of gyoza and soba noodles on the side. Not only does she favor the atmosphere of this café but the food was excellent as well. As for dessert, the old man has never failed to surprise her yet.

Sakura snapped her chopsticks apart and proceeded to dig in.

Sometime later, with a belly full and satiated for the day, the bell by the door chimed as another customer walked through. The first few times Sakura visited the café and there were customers inside, people tried to ask for her autograph and a picture taken with them. Since her boss wasn’t around, she’d give in on the condition that they will order off the menu and promise to keep her oasis a secret.

This time however, it was Sakura herself who did a double take.

“Ah Toshinori-kun, good afternoon. I haven’t seen you around in a while,” Sakamichi greeted.

“You look well, Sakamichi-san,” she heard the blonde greet back, “Oh I’ve just been going with the flow mostly. Gotta make the most out of my vacation after all.”

The old man chuckled, “I’m just glad to see you’re doing just as well. So I take it you want your usual? I’ll have to ask you to wait though. I wasn’t sure when you’d stop by the café again so I might’ve stashed the ingredients away.”

“It’s fine. In the meantime, could you make me some of your Fire tea? It’s been a while since I had some.”

“You got it!”

As the café owner turned to make the blonde’s drink, the skeleton-like man turned around to survey the café to look for a good spot to sit. Until, of course, his eyes landed on the pinkette’s.

Sakura caught onto his stare, that obviously showed recognition, and with her lips still sucking on the straw of her mango milkshake, winked at him in return.

She popped her lips off of the straw and raised two fingers, “Yo!”

The blonde visibly straightened from where he stood and raised his own (shaky) hand in greeting, “Y-Y-Yo!”

She waved her hand in a beckoning gesture and with, albeit, measured steps, the blonde followed her silent command and stood before her table.

“Hello again,” she greeted with a small smile.

“Hi, S-Shamrock Queen,” the blonde flustered, “I uhh… didn’t think you’d remember me.”

Sakura blinked, “Of course I remember you. You’re the first person I talked to when I came to this city, and you’re also the nice man who helped me with directions. I haven’t thanked you properly back then. Sorry about that.”

The blonde raised his hands up, “N-No! I mean- you don’t have to! I-It’s my pleasure- I mean, I didn’t think you’d still remember me. You’ve gotten pretty famous, after all.”

“To be honest, I didn’t think being Endeavor’s Support Hero could be such a big deal. Though it’s really nice to see you again, mister?” she drawled at the end.

“Yagi, err, Yagi Toshinori.”

“Well, Yagi, would you mind joining me on this rainy day?” she gestured at the empty bean bag across from her.

His eyes widened at her invitation, “You don’t mind? I don’t want to impose.”

“Of course not. What’s there to mind about? Unless you still have something to do?”

“Not really, you just caught me by surprise,” he flicked his shadowed eyes towards the bean bag in a moment’s hesitation, “Well then, pardon my intrusion.”

“Apology accepted,” she quipped back.

When Toshinori sat at the oversized bean bag, Sakura couldn’t hold onto the chortle that came out when his skeleton-like body sunk all the way into the cushion as if he was being eaten. She quickly apologized as the blonde snapped up in embarrassment. Eventually, Sakura pulled the bean bag to her side while he reached for the sturdier, butterfly sofa bean bag from the nearby table.

“Do you come here often, Shamrock Queen? I just, uhh, didn’t expect to see you in a place like this,” Toshinori started.

“I suppose you could say that. I’ve been coming here since I first found it. I like the quietness and it reminds me greatly of home. Plus it’s a good place to hide from the media. What about you, Yagi? You seem to know Mr. Sakamichi well.”

“Just Toshinori is fine, Shamrock Queen,” he tried a small smile, “I stop by every now and again. I usually come here for tea and omelette. I also order some taiyaki for my mas- err, for my superior.”

Sakura beamed, “Mr. Sakamichi makes omelettes? Now I really need to try some.”

“You should. They’re really good. Though Sakamichi doesn’t put it on the menu. He mentioned that it’s not exactly easy to get the ingredients from the Land of Fire.”

She nodded in understanding, “Hmm, I suppose the food trade isn’t very lax between the Hidden Villages and the Outside Nations. I’ll make sure to try it next time though. I just finished lunch and I’m stuffed. Thanks for the recommendation.”

In her mind, Sakura could guess that maybe it’s because of Sakamichi’s heritage that gave him leverage to get ingredients. It’s not that the Hidden Villages were selfish of their resources. It’s mostly because they really prefer to keep to themselves. Suffice to say the villages took the lessons from the first Quirk War to heart.

“So when you mentioned that you’re a foreigner, did you actually mean that you’re from the Five Sovereigns?” Toshinori inquired.

Verdant eyes stared back at him with a sharpness that resembled Tsunade’s when dealing with troublesome dignitaries for a split second. She didn’t mean to take offense in his query. So far, the Japanese media hasn’t made connections or theories about her belonging from the Land of Fire.

However, her companion seemed to have caught on and raised his hands in defense, “I’m sorry if I said something out of line. I’m not exactly familiar about the Hidden Villages apart from the common knowledge that they’re very private people. I guess I got too excited. You’re the first person I met that’s from the Hidden Villages. I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

Her eyes widened fractionally at his confession and Sakura immediately tried to placate the blonde, “I- No! Please don’t think like that. I wasn’t offended. Honest. I guess I was just… surprised? Apart from Endeavor and Sakamichi, you’d be the first person to know that I’m from the Land of Fire, but it’s not like I’m keeping it a secret anyway.”

Immediately after, the café’s owner came to their table to settle a teacup in front of Toshinori and poured him some Fire tea.

“Why Toshinori, you like Fire tea?” she inquired with enthusiasm in an attempt to divert the subject.

He snapped his head up at her, “Oh! Yes, I do. It has a really unique taste to it that’s really different from the other teas that I’ve tried. I’m kinda sad I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I would like. I understand why Sakamichi made it fairly expensive. I’m sure the tea leaves are hard to get by from the Land of Fire.”

A sudden thought came to Sakura and her smile widened as she cupped her cheeks with both her hands, her elbows on the table, “How about this then? As a thank you for being so nice and giving me directions, and for the wonderful commentary about my home’s best tea, I’ll pay for everything you order from the menu today.”

As expected, Toshinori’s shadowed eyes widened and immediately opened his mouth to protest but Sakura stopped him with a raised finger shushing so closely to his thin lips.

“Nope, nope, nope! Please don’t try to refuse my generous offer. I know it’s not gentlemanly to let a woman pay for your expenditures but I really do want to repay you,” she locked her eyes on his crystal blue ones, “Besides, you’re the first person I met in this city so think of it as a reward. Please humor me on this?”

The silence stretched on for a while and whether the redness of Toshinori’s cheeks was because of embarrassment or something else, she wasn’t sure. When he sighed, Sakura pulled back her finger.

“If you insist.”

Sakura beamed, “Thank you.”

“So, how are you enjoying Musutafu so far?” he started conversation after taking a sip of that Baltic-colored liquid.

Sakura hummed in thought, her chin propped on her hand as she furrowed her brows, “It’s really different from Konoha alright. I’ve never seen a place so full of steel and concrete besides Amegakure, but it’s a nice change of scenery, I guess. I’ve been enjoying my stay here so far, thank you very much.”

“That’s great. I can’t imagine how culture-shocked you must be. You can probably guess that there aren’t a lot who’s familiar with the Hidden Villages to make a comparison.”

“I don’t mind though. I don’t look that much different from the average Japanese for them to suspect I’m from Fire Country. I’ve been treating it as an adventure, but it would be nice if I could do a bit more sightseeing though. I’ve been here for a few months already but I still haven’t seen what Japan has to offer.”

“Really? How come?”

She shrugged, “I guess you could call me workaholic? It’s not like my boss is a slave driver. My work hours are actually reasonable but I’m just used to working long shifts. I came here for business and I don’t know much about the city or the Japanese culture to be confident enough to explore it on my own.”

“I see…”

Another round of silence.

“So would you- that is, if you like, err,” she looked at him strangely through his stumble and Toshinori had to suck in his breath, “would you like me to show you around?”

Green eyes widened, “Excuse me?”

“I mean, I grew up in this city and I know the best spots around. I basically know it like the back of my hand. I could take you to places that you won’t find in any tour plans a-and err…” he looked away with a red face at the end.

Seeing him stutter instantly reminded her of Hinata and how she’d act around Naruto. Though she highly doubted Toshinori held the same feelings towards her at such a short period of time. This was only their second meeting and first official meet-up for goodness sake! She just chalked it up to him being shy.

Sakura was not an excellent judge of character. She can admit that much considering she almost pummeled Sai the first time they met. Then again, calling her ugly to her face was really uncalled for. Still, there’s something about the lanky blonde that made her feel secure. That even though she barely knew this person, he gave off a feeling that he’s trustworthy and dependable.

Like a hero.

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course not!” he snapped his head up, “It would be an honor. Besides, since you said I’m the first person you met in this city, I might as well take responsibility and show you around, right?”

“Why Toshinori! I know we just met but asking me out is just too soon.”

“W-W- No! I didn’t mean-“ poor guy has his entire face red by now.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was just teasing.” Sakura tittered while her hand waved in dismissal. When the bubble of laughter died down, she fixed her green eyes at him, “Thank you for the offer though, Toshinori. I’d love to.”

“Really? You do?”

She nodded, the corner of her lips quirked into a small smirk, “Of course. So, this means I’ll be expecting you to hold onto your word to give me the best tour.”

This time, Toshinori smiled widely with a hint of excitement, “I already have the perfect place in mind.”

* * *

There really was something to be said about the Outside Nations. With the modernization of the world, she would be lying if she said that the lack of nature didn’t unsettle her. Kumo had numerous mountains that could break through the clouds, Iwa lied within a valley surrounded by hard earth littered with ores and minerals, though Ame was home to towering steel structures there was still no definite count on how many bodies of water that surrounded the nation, Suna stood in a literal desert, and her Konoha laid at the heart of dense forests.

She looked down on the poorly written address in her hand. Years of apprenticeship under Tsunade allowed her to decipher the most catastrophic handwritings known to man. Not that her handwriting’s any better, but at least she could write a prescription and report decent enough for a civilian to understand.

Unfortunately, even though she just earned herself a new friend and tour guide, Sakura couldn’t just ask Toshinori to guide her to this place because it would be detrimental to her mission. Just because she made a new friend doesn’t mean she’ll disclose her secrets any time soon.

_What sort of Konoha Pro Hero would that make her?_

Her heel clad feet stopped when she spotted the small, rundown building that stood out like a sore thumb among the rest of the block. Its welcome sign hung dangerously on one side, almost as if it’s ready to fall at any moment. Just to be sure though, Sakura looked across the street and true enough, there’s a humble apparel store in business there.

Well, she’s made it this far anyway. At least one bus ride outside Endeavor’s territory.

With a deep breath, the pinkette marched right up to the front door and knocked.

There was no answer.

She knocked again and this time, it was met with a slightly irritated voice.

“Don’t want any of whatever you’re selling! I’m busy so get outta my property, kid!”

“I assure you I’m not here to sell you anything, but knowing you, you might as well buy some once you see what I brought for you,” Sakura chuckled, “and my name is not ‘_kid’_, Sorahiko-sensei, its Sakura.”

The silence that followed stretched on for a while until she heard a set of footsteps approaching the door. There was a bit of rattling on the other side until one of them creaked open to reveal a short, old man.

“Sakura-chan?”

“It’s been a while, Sorahiko-sensei,” her smile widened at him.

“So it really is you,” he breathed before opening both double doors to reveal his small stature, still clad in his signature white and yellow-gloved hero costume, “Well don’t just stand there! Come on in!”

Sakura graciously accepted his invitation and stepped into his humble abode. Her verdant eyes critically passed over the worn wallpaper and stained tiles, and her tongue clicked at the sight of shelves over packed with books and magazines.

“I see you’re still as organized as always,” she commented.

He huffed, “Of course I am! I take good care of my important belongings!”

“I can see that,” she said as she eyed the neat row of familiar orange books tucked away above a small TV. Sakura held out a small box as the old man shuffled quickly around the small sitting area to make it at least neat enough for his sudden guest and prepared some tea, “I’m sorry I barged in on you like this without warning. I hope my little peace offering could make you forgive me?”

The old hero gingerly took the box from her hands after he invited her to sit at one of the overstuffed chairs. The box was warm even through his gloves and brown eyes instantly widened at the sight of his favorite treat. As expected, the pinkette brought him freshly baked taiyaki.

Sorahiko guffawed as he sat across from her and settled the box at the coffee table in front. One of the fish-shaped cakes was already in his hand. When he took a bite, his brown eyes widened at the burst of flavor that exploded on his tongue, “D-Delicious!!! I know this flavor from anywhere! It’s your own recipe, isn’t it, Sakura-chan?!”

Sakura beamed, “Oh wow you could tell?! I’m so glad you like it, Sorahiko-sensei. It’s been a while since I made taiyaki and the ingredients I used aren’t the same here in Japan as it was in Konoha.”

She’s really glad that Sorahiko, or Gran Torino, was in good health and just as lively as ever. The first time she met the old man was when she was only two years in her apprenticeship with Tsunade and she brought her to Jiraiya’s hideout at Mt. Myoboku. The foreign hero was there visiting Jiraiya as well (being friends with one of the Legendary Trio of the Hidden Villages gave him a few perks) and it turned out that he was a friend of her master’s as well.

Gran Torino was a bit crude and likes to take advantage of his old age as an excuse to be senile just to prank her. It took her a few tries but when she finally defeated the old man with a finishing punch to the face (which left him disfigured for a few days because Tsunade refused to heal him just so she could gloat on his failure of ‘_having the best student who can kick his ass_’), a great respect had been added between them, and even though he’s only taught her how to improve her flash-step and gave her pointers to improve her speed during his limited days of visit, Sakura opted to call him sensei out of respect and learned to bake taiyaki for him just as she learned to cook chicken breast and distinguish quality sake for her master and cook garlic pickled with Japanese basil and karaage-fried chicken for Jiraiya. All out of her respect for her elders.

“Of course, I do!” Beady chocolate eyes twinkled as he raised his chin up in pride, “You really are an angel, Sakura-chan. I wish my good-for-nothing student was more like you. That brat could really learn a lot from you.”

She knew that Sorahiko had a student he’s personally training as a Pro Hero, but Sakura never met them personally nor did she know of their identity.

“But I’m really glad to see you again,” the old hero added, his tone fonder, “I mean, when I saw your face in the news, I almost didn’t believe it! But then again, who else can pull off a pretty face with pink hair?”

A vein throbbed at Sakura’s temple at his jab. He’s one of those people who can never get tired of pointing out her oddly-colored hair.

He continued, “But then again, when I saw that clip of yours flash stepping to stop a truck with your bare hand, I knew for certain that it’s really you. Why didn’t you come visit me sooner?!”

Sakura clapped her hands together and bowed her head slightly at him, “I’m really sorry, Sorahiko-sensei. I was really busy with my application and it was quite challenging to get the media off my scent. You know we don’t have a problem with the paparazzi back home.”

He huffed and crossed his arms but there was a small smirk playing along his lips, “Right. Though I’m glad you came to see me personally. That no-good student of mine couldn’t even pay his respects and just sends me letters. Honestly, I was really considering of surprising you while you’re out on patrol just to see you for myself. You’ve really grown, Sakura-chan.”

“Well, it has been a long time, Sorahiko-sensei. You haven’t changed a bit though.”

“Call me consistent then. How about my old friends?” he leaned a bit at her.

She shrugged, “Last I heard Jiraiya’s out travelling again for inspirations for his new book. I bet he’s out there terrorizing and getting banned from bathhouses again.”

Sorahiko laughed, “And Tsunade?”

At that, Sakura stilled for a moment at the thought of her master. Without her knowing, her hand just came up to her forehead and traced the purple diamond forever etched on her skin. She didn’t need to look up to see the old man’s somber look.

“Tsunade-shishou has officially retired,” she said as the films of her memories made her remember the most special moment she had with the Slug Princess.

On the day Tsunade announced her graduation from her apprenticeship and officiated her retirement; Sakura just finished unpacking her master’s belongings in her humble hut in Shikkotsu Forest when the blonde bestowed upon her final gift.

The diamond on her forehead was more than just a fancy mark. It was a status symbol- that not only had she surpassed her master, but also had the power to bring glory and honor to her name. It gave her the right and privilege to stand beside the great heroes of the Hidden Villages.

It was also on that day that Tsunade revealed her true form. Gone was the youthful blonde Senju but the person who stood before her was an old woman forever grateful and blessed to have found Sakura. The person she deemed worthy to pass on her legacy.

It was the most tearful yet most fulfilling moment Sakura had ever experienced and she made sure to hug her master tight to convey her own gratitude for everything she had done.

“I see,” Sorahiko breathed deeply. He was a bit sad, but he’s happier that his friend had finally found her inner peace. He looked up at her with a genuine smile on his face, “I’m glad though. That Tsunade… she’s really, really proud of you.”

Sakura smiled to herself, “I know.”

“So what brings you here in Musutafu?” he asked as he reached for another taiyaki.

Sakura shot her head up and openly told Sorahiko about her auxiliary lessons with Recovery Girl and why she’s working as Endeavor’s Support Hero. Apart from Recovery Girl and U.A.’s principal, Gran Torino was the only one who knew of Sakura’s two quirks so she’s free to talk to him about her circumstance without repercussions. Plus, it would be good to have him informed just in case something happens and she needed someone to cover for her. She trusted the old man enough to watch her back. That, and Sorahiko may be a bit intimidated at the unspoken agreement that if he didn’t look after her, he’d be facing the Slug Princess’s wrath. Not that Sakura needed anyone to look after her. Tsunade may be her master, but the blonde treated her like her own daughter.

“I see, I see,” he nodded his head slowly in understanding while he caressed his beard, “I have no doubt in your abilities, Sakura-chan, but don’t be afraid to tell me if anything inconveniences you, alright? Endeavor’s not really known to be the best employer to his Support Heroes.”

“I’ll be fine, Sorahiko-sensei. Really, Endeavor’s not as bad as people say. He’s just… uhh… a bit hot-headed,” she laughed at her own pun.

“Sounds like someone I know,” he mumbled but was loud enough to be clearly heard.

“Did you say something, old man?” shamrock eyes instantly flashed greener at his words and the empty tea cup she held in her hand broke into pieces at the slightest twitch of her thumb. Of course, she made a mental note to replace it later. There’s a really nice set of Japanese dragon tea set at one of the stores she passed by during her patrol the other day.

The old hero threw his head back in boisterous laughter till he had to clutch his stomach and tears slipped through the edge of his eyes.

“Not to worry, Sakura-chan,” he breathed as he wiped the stray tears, “I’ll keep your little secret, but you have to promise me to visit often. I don’t usually get any visitors but I hope you can grace this old man with your company from time to time. I’ll also make sure to bring out the shogi board on your next visit. I’m afraid it’s still tucked away in the storage room… somewhere.”

Sakura tittered, “I’ll be sure to give you a heads up next time too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s Chapter 3! Thank you again for your lovely comments.  
The next chapter will be about Sakura and Endeavor again. Hope you all look forward to it next week!
> 
> Ciao~!


	4. Routine and Kuzumochi Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's still a bit culture-shocked but she's learning.

Just as the sun began to rise, Sakura’s eyelids automatically fluttered open just like any other day whether she liked it or not. Having a trained body clock was both a blessing and a curse. For one, she didn’t need to use an alarm clock since she wakes up before the sun no matter which country she stayed in. On the other hand, she couldn’t sleep in unless she tires herself out the night before and her body has to automatically shut down on its own. That only happens after a very, very, hard battle, and overworking at the hospital though.

She stretched her stiff limbs and yawned like a cat before getting ready for the day. Her loft-style apartment had a wonderful view of the city below. Though she can’t deny her old room in Konoha had a much better view. The city smog was still something she’s slowly getting used to.

After a few weeks of staying in Japan, Sakura had already formed a routine. After waking up in the morning she would have coffee and breakfast, do some light exercise, and then take a bath to get ready before heading off to work.

Although she was given the option to stay at Endeavor’s Agency, Sakura refused. As faithful as she was to her employer, she loved her privacy even more. _Maybe because she’s from the Hidden Villages and inherently doesn’t favor the Outside Nations that much?_ Kakashi told her about his own trip to a country called Korea on a missing-hero hunting mission once. As nice as the citizens there were, he himself couldn’t even nonchalantly say anything about himself. Especially if it concerned Konoha or the other five villages. And that’s saying something since it’s Kakashi, but then again it _i_s Kakashi…

Speaking of which, Sakura smiled at the raptor picking at its reddish-brown feathers on its stand in the living room.

“Good morning, Hayabusa,” she greeted the hawk over her shoulder as she started defrosting the rabbit she hunted from the forest a few ways outside the city. Of course, nobody has to know that.

She left the plastic bag with the rabbit in a bowl of hot water and let it thaw for a few minutes. Then casually approached the three feet tall hawk to pluck out the contents of the canister strapped behind its back.

True, approaching an animal that has no second thoughts of clawing someone’s face out would be considered dangerous, but Hayabusa was hers since she received her Pro-Hero license at thirteen. All heroes with the rank of Chu and above were required to have their own messenger hawks.

Besides, Fire Hawks were a species of raptors that were endemic to the Land of Fire. They were also the most intelligent birds of prey in the world, an envy of all nations. They may live freely in the wild but they can also be trained to deliver messages between people they recognize. Their wings were also strong enough to enable them to fly long distances and deliver parcels five times heavier than their own weight. Because as open as Konoha was to the idea of technological advancement, the culture, and the people themselves were heavily traditional.

Sakura sifted through each one and so far, most of them were just responses from her friends and family. Ino wrote that she was going to Kumogakure for the first time for a medical conference. She’s very proud of the blonde for finally opening up her own clinic and made good use of her family’s mind-control quirk. Even if her choice of profession was to be a Sex Therapist. Her own parents were doing well too, with them being busy with their business in the fashion industry. As for her boys, Kakashi and Sai were still going out on missions while Sasuke finally started helping out his brother with the clan. He’s still yet to control his family’s Black Fire though. Lastly, Naruto will be staying at Mt. Myoboku for a while with Jiraiya for extensive training again.

She decided to respond to those later after her shift.

But when she finally turned to the sealed scroll given by the Hokage himself, her blood began to boil.

‘_… The Collector…’_

‘_… Orochimaru…_’

Just seeing those words alone nearly set her off.

She had only ever met the defected hero of the Legendary Trio only a handful of times during her entire lifetime but boy did she wish she could slice open his throat every single time.

What he’s done to her master and her boys was just unforgiveable. It also doesn’t help that he’s still out there scheming and experimenting on god knows what. He’s given Konoha, and even Suna, the slip so many times just like the damn snake he was.

_The only reason she hasn’t taken his head yet was because of a promise she made._

The scroll, written in Konoha’s native language, said that suspicious activity has been circulating Japan’s underground. The patterns only gave them a hint that it may either be The Collector or Orochimaru, but Minato was never one to take chances and take the smallest things for granted. Either way, her orders were to remain vigilant and continue her studies. It basically meant she’s on standby until further notice.

She should expect a mission scroll with Hayabusa anytime soon.

Konoha may be the friendliest village compared to their sister nations, but they are the worst when it comes to grudges. Especially since it’s an offense that involved all of the elemental nations.

More than five years ago, an unaffiliated intruder had attempted to steal quirks from not just Konoha but in Suna, Kumo, Iwa, and Ame as well. What irked her the most was that this person targeted Sasuke and Hinata. Theft of quirks was a notion no longer foreign to the higher powers of the villages no thanks to Orochimaru.

Unfortunately, that intruder escaped. He’s been named as ‘_The Collector_’, and ranked A in all of the bingo books.

But that’s a story for another time.

With a mental note to send her replies later, Sakura fed Hayabusa the thawed rabbit before heading off to the agency.

Depending on her mood, she’d either walk down the street and greet those who stopped to say hi or sign for autographs (she had surprisingly gained quite the number of fans from the younger age group. Then again, she always had a way with children), or take to the roofs. The towering buildings have become quite the substitute for the heaven-high trees back home.

Today though, she felt like building-hopping.

The news made her want to hit something. So she definitely needs to find a way to blow off some steam. Maybe she could spar with one of the heroes at the agency before her patrol starts?

Once in the 2nd ranked pro hero’s company, she always made sure to greet the employees she passed by. Though they had been doubtful of her capabilities in the beginning, that didn’t matter since they welcomed her with open arms after she showed her power. The (late) welcome party they threw for her a month later was something she certainly didn’t expect, but it tickled her heart to feel the warm welcome and nice smiles. Endeavor’s sidekicks were just as warm as the fire they carry. One employee even told her, with the solid agreement of the others, that she’s like a ‘_breath of fresh air_’ in this agency. Though she doesn’t really understand why though.

Endeavor’s office resided on the top floor of the building behind large, thick, double doors.

“Good morning Michiru-san,” she greeted the secretary behind the desk just a floor below Endeavor’s near the private elevator to his office, “How’s your throat?”

“Good morning to you too, Shamrock Queen,” the older woman greeted back. Her smile widened as she placed a hand on her cheek, “It’s doing marvelous, dear! That tea you recommended was a miracle! Thanks to you, I’ll be able to sing in my best friend’s wedding without embarrassing myself.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Sakura nodded in relief. Temptation gripped her like a vice whenever she encountered someone in need of any medical help. It took a lot out of her to ignore those civilians who got caught in the collateral damage during fights with villains.

Medical doctors have greatly increased in demand since people started gaining quirks. Needless to say, those in her profession were more than welcome to use their license in any country around the world. But she doesn’t want to give a bad impression by just waltzing nonchalantly in a random hospital and flash her medical license all willy-nilly.

“If you’re here for Endeavor, I’m afraid you’ll have to sit this one out for a bit, Shamrock Queen. He’s been held up in a meeting since this morning and by the looks of it, it’s going to take a while,” she informed.

“Oh, really?” Sakura blinked. It’s not the first time she had to wait for Endeavor to finish his morning work. In fact, this sort of things happened fairly rarely since she learned that her employer was a punctual and diligent man, especially when it came to his hero work. If he’s given the choice, Endeavor would rather choose to stay out in the field than to sit idly behind his desk. “I guess it’s one of those days, huh? Alright, I’ll take my leave. He knows where to find me when he’s finished anyway. See you later, Michiru-san!”

Sakura turned on her heel with a new destination in mind. During these times when she does have to wait, Sakura could always turn to someone to pass the time.

“SHAMROCK QUEEN!!!”

Sakura had already felt the fireball aimed at her direction before her hero name was even finished. An effortless tilt of her head was enough to dodge the ball and hit the wall behind her.

“Burnin please, how many times do I have to tell you to greet me normally? Do you want Endeavor to chew you out again for almost starting a fire?” the slight seriousness of her teasing chides effectively caused a shiver up the sharply-toothed girl’s spine. Meanwhile Sakura reached for the small fire extinguisher by the side like clockwork and doused the embers before it could eat an entire wall (again).

“D-Don’t patronize me, Shamrock Queen! It’s all your fault for not passing by our floors enough!” she shouted with a red face and an accusing finger.

Sakura smiled brightly at the freshly-licensed hero as she placed back the extinguisher to its place, “Aww I missed you too, Burnin!”

The younger hero’s cheeks burned brighter, “What the hell are you saying, Shamrock Queen?!!!”

The rest of the heroes present laughed at their interaction. Sakura had befriended the newly graduated young woman after she officially became Endeavor’s support. Apparently, Burnin had wanted to ‘_test out_’ her worth to stand by her idol’s side. As for Sakura, she’s always up for a good match.

That one on one spar had surprisingly turned into an all-out brawl with the other sidekicks in the agency. Flaming Sidekickers, they call themselves to be. Unfortunately for them, Sakura was more than used to fighting with numerous opponents. She had utilized her super strength quirk to its fullest capacity during her training under Tsunade’s tutelage. The Slug Princess made sure to cultivate that quirk of hers alongside her healing quirk.

The aftermath of that had apparently earned her their respect and acknowledgement as their boss’ Support Hero and Burnin had even proclaimed her as her rival. Which was surprising because rivalry was never really her thing. It’s more reserved for her boys but unfortunately for her, Burnin wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Well, I’m here now so do you think you can help me pass the time again, Burnin?”

The younger female hero huffed with a cross of her arms. Steam blew out of her nostrils before fixing her eyes at her, “Loser buys?”

Sakura can’t help but laugh. She’s never the boastful one but so far, no hero or villain in Japan has ever defeated her yet.

“If you could land a hit on me, I’ll treat you to that sushi restaurant you always told me about.”

“DEAL!” Burnin beamed and immediately made a dash for the doors.

“Uhmm, Shamrock Queen? Would you mind if we join in too?” another hero who looked like a mummy approached her. Behind him were two others whose eyes twinkled at her anxiously and excitedly.

Apart from being acknowledged, Sakura had unknowingly earned herself the spot as the goal for the sidekicks to surpass. Even Endeavor didn’t mind about this since it encouraged his employees to grow stronger.

Sakura smiled sweetly at them, “Alright. The more the merrier!”

.

After Sakura’s last test from Endeavor months ago, the entire sparring arena became bigger, and better than before.

The pinkette sidestepped just as a strip of cloth shot towards her and grabbed it, catching the mummy hero off guard. She twisted around her heel as if she was dancing to dodge the incoming stampeding horse hero, and used the cloth in her hand to quickly tie them up with a cute bow on top.

Sakura swiftly kicked them off to the side as another hero came at her with large fists hurling. With a move she learned from the Akimichi clan’s dojo, she slammed him down hard enough to snuff out the last of his strength but not enough to crack the floor. She wouldn’t want Endeavor to dock her salary for compensation in destroying the training arena again like the last time she sparred with his sidekicks. He was kicked to the side too.

With three down, Sakura steadied herself to finish this spar. Burnin came at her with her entire body in flames from head to toe. Her hero name being shouted from her lips before firing three fireballs from where she stood.

When the dust and smoke cleared, the younger female hero went wide eyed in shock to find the pinkette missing. She hastily turned around but it was too late as she was grounded on the spot by the sight of a gloved fist flying at her face.

Only to top inches away from the tip of her nose just as the steel doors of the arena opened to reveal their employer.

The wind pressure Sakura gathered around her petite hand was like a blast of a hurricane. So much so that the fire that coated Burnin’s body was literally blown away and she was left bare in her hero costume and natural hair.

With a smirk on her face, Sakura retracted her fist and stood up properly from her stance, “Well, I suppose our sparring session ends here.”

Burnin was too wide-eyed in shock to respond immediately.

“Shamrock Queen, as much as I appreciate you keeping my sidekicks in shape, knocking them unconscious is uncalled for,” Endeavor said as he walked towards the smiling pinkette and stunned hero.

Sakura, however, just smiled innocently at her ever-scowling employer with a small shrug of her shoulders. Besides, Burnin should be snapping out of it any moment now.

“Time to go back to work then?” she smiled innocently.

.

They stayed on a roof of a building on a heavily trafficked area. Her legs dangled off the ledge.

“Here,” came Endeavor’s voice and she reached out to his hand offering a treat.

“Thanks,” she smiled sweetly as the Flame Hero sat beside her on the rooftop’s ledge. Her mood brightened after trading blows with the sidekicks earlier. Sakura eyed the chocolate ice cream wrapped around an edible wrapping topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and bits of strawberry. She ate a whole fruit before taking a bite. Sakura’s eyes beamed at the explosion and sweetness on her tongue, “This is amazing! What’s this one called?”

Endeavor ate his own treat of cookies and cream, “It’s called a crepe. The wrapping is a thin pancake and it’s usually served with any sweet filling.”

“Crepe,” Sakura marveled before taking another enthusiastic bite, “I thought you will only buy me the regular sized ones just in case I won’t like the taste? Though I’m not complaining. This is delicious!”

He shrugged, “Not my idea. It seems that our dessert raids have been discovered. The young man said I didn’t need to pay the extra fee. I think he wants me to put a good word about him to you.”

“Well that’s very nice of him,” She tittered, casting a teasing eye at his direction, “I hope you gave him a good tip in my place?”

“It’s definitely cut from your paycheck this week if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“So mean,” she pouted playfully at her usually stoic hero.

During the first few days of patrol as Endeavor’s official Support Hero, Sakura had noted the various stalls they passed by. Once or twice she may have fallen slightly behind her employer for gazing at the delicious looking treats but she made sure she wouldn’t let that happen often. Sakura wouldn’t want to test Endeavor’s tolerance for suddenly going off course while on the job.

Apparently, she didn’t have to do something rebellious. They were at the second half of their patrol when out of nowhere, Endeavor called for a break. Much to her surprise. He even allowed her to go and buy something for snacks. As shocking as it was, Sakura wasn’t going to let a rare opportunity pass. She’s not selfish enough to just buy on her own though. She offered to buy him some but he refused before she could even finish. On her third break however, Endeavor finally caved when she made the wise decision to choose kuzumochi. On the following days after, Endeavor insisted on paying for both of them, passing it off as him indulging in his employee’s whims but she knew that his pride just won’t accept someone else to pay for his meals. That, and Endeavor just wanted an excuse to eat his favorite food.

Who would’ve thought that _the_ Endeavor could be such a dessert junkie like her? It’s almost laughable to think of him eating some childish treat and really enjoy it if she didn’t see it herself.

Halfway into her crepe, Sakura decided to address the lingering look the Flame Hero’s boring at her some time now.

“What?”

“I’ve always wondered,” he began. Head tilted a bit in thought, “what that diamond on your forehead means. It doesn’t look like a simple tattoo. And that circle on your back. I thought it’s just a fashion statement but it can’t be if it’s on every shirt or qipao dress you have.”

Sakura blinked surprised emerald eyes at him. Was Endeavor seriously asking things about her? Well, in his defense, she supposed that anyone would notice her trademark symbols over time. Considering the fact that they’re literally always together nearly every day.

“Well, if you’re really curious,” she started and pointed at the purple diamond on her forehead, “This diamond was given to me by my master after I completed my training with her. It symbolizes that I have also surpassed and mastered everything she could ever teach me. It means I don’t have to stand in her shadow anymore, but beside her as an equal.”

It’s not exactly a lie though. Her Byakugou didn’t appear until she was fighting to her death against the Puppetmaster. Tsunade had told her that the Byakugou was a sign that she had reached the highest level of her H-type quirk. It was a fact kept hushed and classified among the top brass of the world’s medical field. Apparently, only those with healing-related quirks were able to achieve this level of mastery, and out of the ten people in history with the healing quirk, only four- including her, were able to successfully achieve this milestone.

The fourth was her, the third- Tsunade, the second was a woman from Naruto’s ancestry- Uzumaki Mito, and the first was Sakura’s great, great, great, grandfather.

“So it’s a mark of achievement,” Endeavor surmised.

“Well I guess that’s one way of putting it,” she smiled before motioning to the white circle stitched on her back, “This one though, is the symbol of the Haruno family. I don’t know about you Japanese, but in Konoha, families who either stem from a long ancestry or have members with respectable powers, are granted to have a symbol to wear on every top clothing they own.”

“We don’t,” he answered.

“Well my family falls in the former category. We don’t have very powerful members but my family has existed since the founding of the village.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Endeavor snorted, implying her comment about not being born in a powerful family.

She caught on to it though, and she smiled at him at the sweet compliment, “I’m glad you think highly of me, Endeavor, but it’s true. My father has a silver tongue in business and my mother is a successful fashion designer.

“This white circle represents the cycle. Of life and death, and the changing of seasons. It also symbolizes creation as Haruno means Spring Field. My grandfather once told me that our family symbol was given by the First Hokage, since among all the families that survived the Quirk Wars, it was the Harunos that always came back standing even if we’re not blessed with powerful quirks.”

“Interesting, and it fits your name too.”

At this, she rolled her eyes, “Please don’t ask. My parents may be the best in the business but they’re not very creative with naming.”

Up until now she’s still a bit bitter at the fact that they named her after the Cherry Blossom tree because her father made another awful pun of it when she was born with a tuft of pink hair already.

“Still, Cherry Blossom in the Spring Field, it has a nice ring to it.”

Sakura raised a brow at Endeavor at that but her amusement eventually waned down at the sincerity of his words. It was odd… hearing those words from him. He’s always so serious and defensive. This was probably the first time they’ve spoken about something outside hero work. It was surprising enough that he would indulge her in these dessert raids, and even though she wouldn’t mind getting to know him on a personal level, she didn’t want to push her chances.

_He’s also surprisingly patient with her sass._

A small smile crept up her face and her cheeks warmed over, “Thank you, Endeavor. That’s very sweet of you. People always made fun of me because of my hair color,” her smile suddenly became teasing, “You know, you should say nice things to people more often. I know it’ll greatly improve your public image.”

Her jab at his barely existing public approval rating seemed to break some sort of spell in him as Endeavor’s eyes widened fractionally at her words. Like he wasn’t thinking about what he just said and just realized it. Whether or not she noticed, she didn’t comment on it.

The fire on his back billowed as he barked back at her, “Don’t let it get to your head! It’s a comment, not a compliment!”

Throwing her head back in laughter was her only reaction to his response. This was the kind of relationship they have. She was free to make teasing jabs at her employer, most of the time about his bad public rating and too-serious façade. All in the hopes of breaking free from a suffocating silence. Sakura could be perfectly professional if she wanted to, and she had during her 7-day assessment, but on some days, she just couldn’t help it.

The first time she got a reaction out of him was so shocking she thought he was an imposter. But then he began making witty comebacks of his own. His target however, was her obvious short statue. Endeavor could also make a pleasant conversation with every now and again. There was just something about him since she first saw him. Like a picture hidden under so many layers, she wanted to pry open the ugly colors people painted him as and see the full image herself. Though moments like these between them were still sparse, Sakura hoped that would be rectified someday.

If only she knew, that in other people’s eyes, especially those who knew him long enough, that it was already a miracle that she was able to have these casual moments with the Flame Hero.

Her laughing fit eventually died down into soft giggles as they settled back into their companionable silence. Sakura had a small smile on her face as they the rest of their food while they watched the city below. Their conversation eventually picked up again but the topic changed into more serious matters like the news and about other Pro Heroes. So far, Sakura hasn’t met any other Pro Hero apart from those she fought against when she got her license and those employed at his company.

“By the way, I received an email. A big TV network is asking to do an interview with you, _again_,” Endeavor couldn’t stress that last word any further. Those invitations were usually handled (refused) by her but the more persistent ones would dare to send the requests to him in hope of a better chance. A twinge of frustration made his brows frown again.

“Ughh,” Sakura threw her head back out of her own frustration this time, “_Please_ tell me you said no.”

“You wouldn’t be here right now if I did.”

She placed a grateful hand on his muscled arm, “Thank you. You’d think by now they’ve given up on asking me to do these interviews. They should be thankful that I’m allowing them to use stolen pictures of me on their magazines and not suing them for invasion of privacy.”

“I thought you learned by now to stop underestimating Japan’s media? Image is important for the Pro Heroes here. The fans are basically their lifeblood.”

“Well you’re doing pretty well despite your lack of public ratings.”

Endeavor narrowed his teal eyes and growled in warning, “Watch it.”

Sakura just smiled back though, “Anyway, it’s not like I won’t be exposing myself to Japan any more than this. Once school starts out again next year, I’ll be at U. A. High. I think we can both agree that children are the best in making unnecessary scenes.”

Endeavor huffed, “Apart from that, are you seriously not acquainted with any other Pro-Hero outside my agency?”

“Well aside from Kugo, I guess I’m guilty,” she raised her hands up in mock surrender.

“Kugo?”

“You know, Kugo Sakamata? He goes by the name Gang Orca.”

“Since when have you gotten close with him?” the surprise seeped through his eyes a bit at the revelation.

“Since I did my special exam. He was one of those I fought against, remember? Well, whenever he’s not too busy with work at the association and I’m on my day off, sometimes he would invite me over for tea,” Sakura informed casually. As if hanging out with the rank 10 Pro Hero wasn’t a big deal. She’s Endeavor’s Support Hero in the first place. “He’s surprisingly a great companion to have tea with, and he has a very wonderful voice. Did you know he can sing? I’m not sure if it’s natural or because his quirk is tied with orcas though.”

Endeavor didn’t answer though and instead decided to finish off his treat. Sakura didn’t think his lack of response was anything worth mentioning so she followed suit.

“You missed a spot,” Sakura broke the silence this time. Her manicured finger pointed at his left cheek. Endeavor used the napkin that came with his crepe and wiped his face, dropping the temperature of his facial flames to not burn the fragile fibers. When he finished, he looked at Sakura for silent approval but she continued pointing.

“Here, let me,” Sakura offered, trying to stifle her laughter at Endeavor’s third try. His face was starting to look irritable. She snatched the napkin from his burly hands before he can even protest and she just started casually wiping the ice cream smudged on his face. Her mischievous side was really tempted to bring out her phone and snap a photo of his cream tainted face. She bet that if she sold it in this thing called _internet, _it would sell millions.

Amidst her musings, Sakura didn’t notice how Endeavor’s shoulders tensed as he was casually touched. Nobody, not even his own wife and children, would willingly touch him unless out of malicious intent. He’s not blind to the fear in Rei’s eyes, the rage in Natsuo’s, the anxiety in Fuyumi’s, and the hatred rebellion in Shoto’s. He could live without that. He has over his entire life already.

Sakura though. She’s looking at him with an expression so foreign, so unlike the ones he’s used to.

Whatever it was, he didn’t like the stirring that welled deep in his chest. Thankfully, the pinkette drew back her hand as soon as it happened.

“There, all clean,” she held up the napkin showing a small stain before balling their waste and throwing it at the trash can across the street thirty floors below them so casually. Startling the people around.

“Show off,” he huffed as he made a move to stand, “Let’s get back to work.”

Sakura made a mock salute as she jumped to the next building rooftop with her boss right behind him.

Maybe it’s about time for her to show her respect to her new boss? The fastest way to anyone’s heart is through food, after all. Especially if it’s their favorite.

_He better be thankful for what she’s going to do once she gets home._

.

“Oh my! This is so delicious!”

Todoroki Fuyumi’s turquoise eyes sparkled at the sweet flavor on her tongue. She made a move to grab another piece of kuzomochi but not before asking her father for permission. Endeavor nodded with a hand of dismissal.

“Take the whole box. It’s yours anyway.”

Never had he ever seen his daughter so happy with such a simple gesture. Well, he rarely brought his children anything anyway, and it’s not like this particular gift was from him.

“Thank you so much, father!” she cheered.

He grunted, “Not me. Someone else deserves your thanks.”

Confusion spread over her pale face, stopping her own hand that was inches from her mouth, “What do you mean, father? I-If it’s okay for me to ask.”

Just as he was about to answer, his sons came in through the sliding doors. Their expressions immediately turned sour at the sight of him. It was clear that they weren’t expecting him to be home. The tension in the room immediately tripled that it felt suffocating.

“What are you doing here?” the eldest son said with gritted teeth.

“Natsuo…” Fuyumi said softly, eyes darting back and forth from her brothers and father.

“This is my house. I can come and go as I please,” Endeavor huffed indignantly, “You two, however, must’ve forgotten your place.”

The temperature in the room dropped significantly and a layer of frost started to coat the doorway.

Endeavor huffed and stood. His large form towered over his rebellious sons and Fuyumi prayed silently that things won’t escalate any more.

“Enough of this insolence,” he pointed a finger on the stack of boxes in a paper bag, “Just go and take your shares.”

Confusion mixed with their irate expressions and Fuyumi took it as her cue to take over and motion for her brothers. She handed a box for each of them.

“Kuzumochi?” Shoto wondered aloud when he opened his.

“Father brought it for us,” his sister supplied.

Heterochromia eyes immediately shot towards his father, adding suspicion in his amalgam of emotions.

“Correction, I brought it, but someone else intended for you to have them,” he said with a huff and grabbed his own share of kuzumochi, “They did not know what you three favored so they made kuzumochi for each of you instead.”

“As if he knows what we like,” Natsuo whispered bitterly to his siblings.

Endeavor’s teal eyes narrowed before turning them to Fuyumi, “I will tell them that you found their cooking satisfying. I’m sure they will be pleased.”

“Since when did you care about pleasing someone else?!” Shoto exploded as small bits of ice started to form on his right arm.

Enji only gave him a passing look before motioning for the box in his hand, “Try it.”

He left without another word much to Natsuo’s relief. Meanwhile, Fuyumi coaxed her youngest brother to calm and sit down on the chabudai with them.

“Go on, Shoto, try them. They’re really good.”

The two-colored teen indulged his sister after a few moments of contemplating. The mood lifted a bit once their father left.

“Well?” she asked in a motherly tone.

“It’s alright,” Natsuo huffed but followed his mouth immediately with another piece of kuzomochi.

Shoto gazed down at his bitten piece before popping the rest in his mouth, “It’s not that bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last segment of this chapter is inspired by Chapter 6: Frost covered dumplings and stuttering children, by @Itachifangirl185’s Vines that you can't burn away.
> 
> You guys have NO IDEA how many re-writes I had to do for this chapter but I’m glad I finally made something that somewhat works. I don’t want to rush anything since this is a slow burn fic. Sakura has to establish herself better in the life as a Pro Hero in Japan.
> 
> For the next chapter, Sakura will finally meet All Might!


	5. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura finally meets the famous No. 1 Hero, All Might and things don't go as planned for Toshinori. Meanwhile, a friend of Sakura decides to crash in for free room and board between missions. It appears that she found a kindred spirit in a certain hero from Kyushu too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you notice how I’m constantly making Sakura compare Konoha and Japan, it’s not because I’m making her out to be discriminatory to those outside the village, it’s so I could show more about the great difference in their cultures. Remember, Konoha is almost strictly traditional just like in the Naruto-verse and their shinobi policies are almost the same with this hero universe.

There’s something to be said about Japan’s method of handling their villains. She noticed it on the few encounters she had in Endeavor’s territory, but she didn’t think it was this… _different_ (for lack of a better term) even on a major scale. Whereas Konoha and the other villages prefer to send out their heroes outside the village walls to defeat villains before they could reach minor villages within their countries (while maintaining a high standard with the village’s Military Police), Japan prefers to… err… let the heroes and villains fight in the city instead(?).

A quick glimpse of two figures from the corner of her eyes was enough for Sakura to take action. With a quick step behind a slab of wall that fell off of a building during the chaos, the pinkette kicked the concrete into bits in just the right direction to the number of villains running towards a group of civilians who didn’t evacuate in time. The villains fell in pain and some were even knocked unconscious as they were hit by a barrage of concrete bits. Thus, giving the heroes who were chasing after them the enough opportunity to apprehend them.

Sakura casted a small smile and nod at their awed expressions before dashing towards the direction of her employer. In half a second’s time, her back was pressed onto Endeavor’s. Her sudden appearance seemingly out of nowhere made the Flame Hero’s eyes widen fractionally as opposed to the villain who’s openly gaping at her in shock.

In her mind, Sakura shook her head at the villain’s expense. Shouldn’t he at least know that it’s basic to never show emotion in front of an enemy?

“You should train your senses more, Endeavor,” her tone was openly teasing as she held the thick sword-like blades jutting out of the villain’s elbows between her forefinger and thumbs effortlessly. Like they were nothing but fragile fruits, “unless you wanted me to rescue you like a damsel in distress all the time.”

An irate huff escaped the Flame Hero’s nose along with a flare of the blaze running along his body. As usual, Sakura was unperturbed by the heat of his flames.

“Woman, when did you learn to tease your own superior?!” he shot back before throwing another fire javelin at a running villain, pinning him by the clothes to a nearby wall.

Instead of cowering like most at his tone, Sakura’s smile just widened and she openly giggled.

They were nearing the end of their patrol when they suddenly received a distress call from a hero in a neighboring territory. Putting the worry of the safety of the civilians aside, Sakura was actually excited for this turn of events. Technically, this would be her first battle outside of the Hidden Villages. Apart from the spars and exercises she has with Endeavor and his sidekicks, she hasn’t really been getting much action lately. Maybe it’s a Konoha thing, but she always gets restless when she’s not fighting seriously after a while. It’s always hard on her to (literally) pull back her punches due to the Outside Countries’ ‘_No Kill, Only Detain_’ rule. It was really aggravating.

_The least they could do was give her a good fight if she can’t kill anybody. _

Sakura looked at the still-shocked villain in the eyes, fearless and fierce, as she pinched the steel blades effortlessly. Thus, shocking the villain even more. Without giving him any chance to recover, Sakura grabbed his arm to swing him around and throw him to the direction of the police. Her eyes glowed a shamrock green over her mint eyes as she used her second quirk to command one end of the tendons in his arms to tear apart, and sent that command to the other arm just in case. All within a half second’s time.

“Didn’t I order you to manage the street around the block?” Endeavor asked once he was finished with his own fight.

“You did,” she nodded, “I knocked them all out and let the other heroes cuff them so I could clear the way for the police. I’m your Support, Endeavor, it’s in my job description to make sure no villain stabs you in the back, like earlier.”

It’s not like Endeavor didn’t want her around. They _were_ officially a team. It just so happened that their efficiency worked best when apart in most battles. The Flame Hero may acknowledge the helping hand but he’s not going to get himself caught saying that he actually needed assistance, and Sakura’s perfectly fine with that.

A loud female battle cry broke through the battle that had been tidying up in favor of the heroes. The only thing left was the giant golem stuck in a deadlock with a hero named Mt. Lady.

Sakura and Endeavor headed straight to the location. A few meters away from the hulking golem made of dense rock, a group of heroes gathered helplessly as they could only watch Mt. Lady, trying to (unsuccessfully) push back her opponent.

“What’s the-“ Endeavor was about to ask (more like demand) about the situation to a nearby police when a hearty laughter suddenly broke through the air.

For a split second, Sakura felt her muscles tense at the sudden presence and her instincts commanded her to be on guard. She placed herself in front of Endeavor with an almost protective stance like she would to a client during her escort and bodyguard missions back home, while her fingers twitched at the temptation to pull out a kunai. Behind her, the Flame Hero rose a brow at her in question but before he could ask what she was doing, something, rather, _someone_ crashed an acceptable distance in front of them.

When the dust cleared, a hulking man with bright blonde hair and a twinkling smile was flexing before them.

“I AM HERE!!!” came his deep, masculine voice, followed immediately by another round of hearty laughter.

As if his mere presence alone casted a spell, every hero and police around them broke into large grins with eyes twinkling with hope. All their worry and frustration disappeared just like that. The pinkette didn’t need to guess who he was as everyone began to call out his name.

Everyone except her and Endeavor.

Whilst her employer audibly clicked his tongue in distaste upon his arrival, Sakura’s verdant eyes narrowed suspiciously. She’s no expert in detecting presences or scaling power levels to definite degrees unlike the Uchiha and Hyuuga, but she can feel bits of it thanks to Konoha’s standards in training. This man- All Might’s presence however, reminded her of Naruto’s ultimate quirk form.

“All Might!”

“Ooh! Ingenium! Can you tell me about the situation we have here?” he asked in continuous wide smiles.

“Yes! Of course!”

From the gist of it, this villain with the golem type quirk was much tougher than they bargained for. Most of their attacks have proven to be ineffective and could hardly dent or crack the dense rocks. So far, Mt. Lady was the only one who could hold the villain off, lest he’ll go on a rampage and start destroying the city with his club-like arms. Unfortunately, it seems like Mt. Lady was also nearing her limit.

While Endeavor was too busy shooting imaginary flaming daggers at the No. 1 Hero, Sakura’s ingenious mind easily put together the pieces about the situation. She can’t be Tsunade’s apprentice if she can’t punch through a mountain, and if what she’s feeling about this blonde man’s presence was correct, then she will jump at the chance to test it.

“Endeavor, I have a plan,” she said aloud, garnering the attention of her employer and other nearby heroes as well.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Unfortunately, not you in it,” her eyes turned apologetic before they returned back to being serious as she shot her head at the blonde hero.

“Hey! All Might!” she called out and the No. 1 Hero turned with a ‘Hn?’, but at the sight of her, he oddly perked up and was about to say something but Sakura suddenly asked, “How high can you jump?”

All Might tilted his head at her odd question. He answered confusedly, “Pretty high.”

The pink-haired hero blatantly rolled her eyes, “I meant can you jump as high as Mt. Lady’s height?”

He perked up once more in understanding, “Unfortunately, not without a landing in between.”

“Well neither can I,” she ignored the confused glances sent her way as she turned back to Endeavor. “I need you to make sure everyone’s safe and covered and I mean _everyone_, including you.”

“Just what are you planning?” the redhead insisted. His teal eyes burned with authority, but just as always, Sakura was unaffected.

“I don’t have time to explain,” Sakura emphasized, her hand motioned towards the struggling giant heroine holding back her opponent with all her strength. Even at her sixty-eight feet height, the villain dwarfed her with his eighty.

As if to further prove her point, Mt. Lady’s voice boomed over the restricted area, “I can’t… hold on much longer!”

“Just trust me, Endeavor. I got this,” she stared back fearlessly at his irritated teal.

She never knew he saw the fire of confidence and power that burned behind her verdant depths. The same ones he saw the first time they met. It made him relent to her then, and it proved to work on him again.

“Fine. Now go!” he ordered with a roar.

Sakura passed him a secret smile before she turned her heel towards All Might again. Still confused at the transgressions that just happened.

“Follow me,” she plainly said with a hint of authority in her voice. Fortunately, All Might seemed to have some sort of blind faith in her and followed quickly with a ‘_Yes, ma’am!_’. As they ran away from the two giants, one of the heroes approached Endeavor and asked.

“Can we really trust her, Endeavor? She may be your Support Hero but… we barely know her.”

“That’s right! Just what is she planning with All Might?”

“Should we just leave them be? We don’t know what she’s planning!”

In their defense, what they were saying wasn’t without merit. Even though there were those who visited his territory to catch a glimpse at the pink-haired hero that sparked the media with her sudden appearance, Sakura was as recluse as Endeavor when it came to attentions from both the media and other heroes. Not to mention she had refused every single request for interviews up to now.

In a way, Shamrock Queen was Endeavor’s _personal_ heroine.

“It is _exactly_ because Shamrock Queen is my Support that you should all trust her!” Endeavor’s voice practically thundered across the battlefield. The sheer confidence and trust in his voice for the foreign heroine both shocked and awed everyone present, “If you won’t listen to her then you’re disrespecting me! Now get a move on! From what I gathered from her words; it’s going to get really messy.”

Meanwhile, Shamrock Queen and All Might continue to make distance. Once Sakura was satisfied, she stopped and half-turned her head at the smiling hero, “I know you’re confused with what’s going on but I really need you to trust me on this one. Here, take my hand.”

Back home, every hero knew who their superiors were. They were trained with a mentality to never question their leaders or team captains unless necessary. It allowed for easier relay of command and efficient execution of strategy, whether for battle or survival. Of course, there were times when subordinates have better ideas or were able to point out a variable in the plan or two. Nara Shikamaru was a prime example of that. Especially during dire situations when everybody’s survival was on the line, that rule can be disregarded. However, Sakura wasn’t sure if the Japanese were keen to that question of authority even in these situations. She’s actually making a gamble here only because of the fact that the only ranking the Japanese heroes have was their strength and popularity poll. Don’t they have a framework of authority? Does being on the Top Ten heroes give them power the same as the Jou-ranked heroes at home? What about being No. 1? Is All Might’s position equivalent to those of the chief commander in the ranks?

The older hero’s face turned beet red at the offered hand, “M-M-Miss! Of course I trust you and I’m flattered but I barely know y-!”

Good enough.

Sakura ignored him and continued, “When I say go, grab my hand and start running towards Mt. Lady. I don’t know how fast you are but whatever you do, do not pick up your pace, don’t not even try to match mine, and absolutely do not slow down. Just keep your momentum. Got it? Now ready…”

She absolutely didn’t give him time to mull whatever she just said but All Might made a grab for her hand the second she said ‘Ready’, and once she said ‘Go!’, they shot through the road in a flash with nothing but a trail of strong winds leaving behind them. The pinkette made no indications of slowing down but once they were literally just shy a foot away from Mt. Lady’s shoe, Sakura placed one foot and then another on the giantess as she literally ran upwards as if she’s running on solid ground.

If she turned to look back, she would’ve caught the impressed shock of the No. 1 Hero, but Sakura didn’t look back. Instead she continued to run up, up, and up. Across the giantess’ leg and her flank before turning from the side of her body to continue all the way up to her hunched shoulders. All the while Mt. Lady visibly shook at the ticklish feeling of their climb but otherwise remained strong. They stopped once they landed on Mt. Lady’s shoulder.

“All Might!” the giantess beamed at the blonde hero from the corner of her eye, almost missing the pinkette beside him, “and you’re…?”

“Shamrock Queen,” she plainly introduced, “Mt. Lady, I know you’re getting tired so just do as I say and we’ll end this in one go. On my signal, use all the strength you have left to push back the golem and All Might and I will take it from there!”

There was an understandable look of doubt on the giantess’ face and Sakura thought she would have to do some quick convincing but then All Might jabbed his thumb up.

“There’s no need for any of that doubt, Mt. Lady! We’ll finish this now! Why? Because WE ARE HERE!”

A pink brow arched at his words. No, she didn’t miss the slight change he did in his catchphrase but that seemed to be more than enough for Mt. Lady as the woman nodded enthusiastically.

“Got it!”

“_Fantastic!_” he cheered in English before turning his attention back to Sakura, “Now what are we going to do, Shamrock Queen?”

Sakura looked at him suspiciously for a brief moment before nodding towards the hulking stone golem in front of them.

“It’s simple. All we have to do is jump and punch the daylights out of this villain,” a small smirk tugged at her lips, “Can I count on you with that?”

All Might flexed his biceps up confidently, “Absolutely!”

With a nod, Sakura hopped over to the other shoulder and instructed Mt. Lady to get ready. With a few deep breaths and a shift of her body to a better posture, Mt. Lady stared dead on at her opponent and-

“NOW!”

Mt. Lady cried loud as she forced all of her strength to push back her opponent. Though it made her stumble back and caused her to shift back to her normal height (down below, another hero called Death Arms caught her), it proved to be more than enough as the golem staggered in his position. He didn’t even get the chance to correct himself as two superpowered heroes were speeding down towards him in jaw-dropping speeds.

“Detroit… SMASH!!!”

“SHANNARO!!!”

The force brought upon their gathered fists alone was like a meteor crashing down on earth. The villain could only release a half-groan before bits and pieces of rock flew all over the vicinity. Smashing through windows, blasting down beams, and shooting holes down the asphalt like a heavy rain of rocks as the clouds above cleared to show a bright half-moon from the sheer power of their combined power.

What followed after was an ear-splitting BOOM! Before the dirt cloud spread throughout the city like a splash in a silent lake, becoming larger and covering wider grounds before it steadied back into silence.

Once the dust and smoke settled, a giant crater was all that’s left from where the enormous golem once stood, leaving only a nude and totally knocked out body of the villain laid motionlessly at the deepest point of the hollow. When the police and heroes recovered from their shock and awed stupor, they all rushed to the edges of the crater just to see All Might and Shamrock Queen standing over the villain with nary a sweat.

Loud cheers erupted not a second later.

“You Japanese are certainly excitable,” Sakura commented as she looked over the crowd that lined the lip of the crater above.

“Well of course! We have just defeated quite a formidable villain! This display would surely inspire the people with hope and assure them of peace!” All Might bellowed.

She half-turned towards the grinning blonde hero with a small smile of her own, “It’s thanks to you cooperating with me. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way for suddenly ordering you like that. We barely just met.”

Technically, she can do it by herself but her researcher side wanted to have a front-row seat of the world’s acclaimed No. 1 Pro Hero’s power.

Two large hands settled on her petite shoulders just as she made a move to bow out of courtesy.

“There is no need for that, dear queen! Your eyes shine with a confidence of a hero sworn to her duty to defend the helpless and smite those who threaten peace! I would be a fool to not trust you!” his grin got impossibly wider as he gave her a thumbs up.

A pink brow arched at his bold proclamation before she started laughing. He reminded her greatly of Lee and Naruto.

“Why All Might, we just met! If I didn’t know any better, I say that you’re flirting with me,” she added a wink in her tease. It proved too effective though as the No. 1 hero suddenly skipped (stumbled) a few steps back as his cheeks turned beet red in embarrassment. Who knew that All Might was so easy to tease?

“A-Ah! Well- that is- err!” he stuttered and Sakura had to fight back her laughter to stop herself from embarrassing the man any further.

“Well, it is a pleasure to officially meet you, All Might,” she extended her hand out, “I’m Shamrock Queen.”

All Might snapped and enthusiastically accepted her hand, “It is an honor to officially meet you as well, Shamrock Queen! I have heard a lot of praise about you and they certainly did not disappoint!”

The second their hands touched again however; Sakura’s brain suddenly skidded to a halt. Her ears didn’t pick up any word on what the blond hero was saying as all of her senses focused into an acute point that was their hands. Even through her gloves, Sakura felt the torrent of feelings crashing onto her with the force of a tsunami.

Due to her rigorous training and prodigal levels of mastering and expounding the capabilities and limitations of her second quirk, Sakura had learned to instantly diagnose any living creature’s body with just a single touch. This inspired her to also learn about internal medicine and it helped greatly in emergency situations. What she’s getting from All Might however… wasn’t anything like she’s ever seen before. How can she describe it?

It’s like a time capsule filled with history’s guarded secrets and treasures. Beautiful and powerful but… the time capsule- the vessel itself- was broken… and also… strangely familiar.

Too absorbed was her mind in trying to make sense of what was going on, she completely failed to see All Might step back to make a dramatic pose for another round of awe-inspiring speech out of excitement-

-only to accidentally hit the pipe jutting out of the crater they had created.

Before she knew it, Sakura was being sprayed by a blast of water right to the face. The most unfortunate thing was… it wasn’t _just_ water.

“ALL MIGHT! What the hell have you done to my Support?!”

Endeavor’s uproar barely registered as she stared dumbly at her soaked figure. Her incredibly… sludge-coated… sewer-water drenched figure… All the while the top two heroes bickered at each other. Well, it was more like a one-sided shouting match while the other struggled to explain what happened. It’s like fighting off a raging inferno with a toy water gun.

“It was accident!” All Might shot his hands up in defense but of course, Endeavor didn’t buy it. The pipe he had accidentally swatted off with his bulky hand mid-pose was squished flat till only droplets of that disgusting water pooled at their feet.

The Flame Hero only took one glance and inhale at the soaked pinkette and his head reared back violently as red brows furrowed together in disgust.

“You smell and look like sh-”

“Don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence.”

To witness another hero directly threaten _the_ Endeavor himself, was absolutely unheard of! If the rumor mill released a story that a small, petite, unsuspecting, pink-haired heroine, had just shut up the infamous No. 2 pro hero, it would’ve made anyone laugh themselves to death at the absurdity and yet… here they were.

Unfortunately for Sakura, a news drone had captured everything on camera.

Endeavor’s response was a dangerous glare of his teal eyes on the younger woman along with a growl between gritted teeth. For some reason, seeing her in such a state angered him so much. Not because she humiliated him, but because someone _did _this to her.

_God, he never wanted to punch All Might so much until now._

It shot a shiver of fear up the spines of everyone present to the point they felt fear for the pinkette. It’s bad enough that she’s humiliated like this even though it was really an accident. The only reason no one was laughing was because they were too afraid to test what will happen if they triggered an already-ticked off Endeavor and every hero knew better to cross the literal walking hellfire. It also seemed that they felt the same way about the pinkette too. She had an air about her that screamed she wouldn’t hesitate to beat up anyone into a bloody pulp.

To everyone’s surprise, Endeavor just clicked his tongue and shot a nearby policeman a look, “Our job’s done. We’re outta here.”

All Might tried to apologize again, “Shamrock Queen, I’m really sorry! It was-!”

“An accident,” Sakura finished before letting out a tired sigh as she tried to, cringe-worthily, shake off some of the waste-water and sludge from her arms and face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm and remind herself that she was not in Konoha and losing her temper over an accident and let out her frustration at the Outsider’s most prestigious hero would not do very well on her record and to Endeavor’s (already low) public image, “It’s _fine_. No, no! You don’t have to help me I can take it from here. You’ve helped enough. It’s really a _pleasure_ meeting you, All Might.”

A larger gloved hand suddenly wound its way around her slender, sewer water-drenched arm, and tugged her away from the still-distressed blonde hero. When Sakura made a move to protest, Endeavor shot her a look and as if he spoke to her in telepathy, the pinkette relented and let him climb them up the crater where a sleek black car skidded to a halt in front of them. She’s too tired and embarrassed to fight back against her employer anyway.

“Endeavor! Where the hell did you pick up this wet stray from?!” Endeavor’s chauffeur shrieked the second she ducked inside the car.

“Just open the windows and drive!” both heroes shouted in unison and the chauffeur all but floored the pedal.

_Kehhh! That woman Endeavor’s got is scary!_

At least Endeavor had the heart to give her three days off after that incident. Well, she’s the only one capable of calling he Flame Hero to have a heart anyway. Then again, neither of them realized how she’s been an exception to his standards for the last few days. Just like later, once he’s dropped her off to her apartment, Endeavor would make a phone call to ensure that all pictures and videos that caught his Support soaked in sewage water and sludge, would be deleted. Or else.

**320498230**

In the dead of the night, she was as silent as a wraith. Her shadow merely a trick to unaware eyes before it blended back to the dark pull of the forest’s darkness.

It wasn’t as dense and the trees weren’t as big and tall as those back at home but it’ll have to do.

Sakura received the missive shortly after her nth visit to her apartment bathroom. Her shampoo bottle could barely pump anymore and she was on her third bar of soap by the time she slipped on another tank top and pair of shorts. At least she finally smelt normally again.

It was a coded scroll meant only for the eyes who can read and had earned their way at the top ranks of Jou-ranked heroes.

Her feet landed soundlessly over the forest’s undergrowth with a practice only seasoned heroes have. Her eyes fixed on the kunai stabbed onto the bark of a tree. Its polished metal glistened under the moonlight. Just as she was about to make a grab for the familiar weapon, she felt her body freeze in complete stillness. It was a very familiar sensation and her verdant eyes shot down on her feet where the shadows practically surrounded her.

It’s always a battle of willpower against this particular opponent of hers. Like a game of mental tug-o-war. Falter once and the other loses explicably. The command she has over her body was the only weapon she had to fight against someone like him. Each foreign tug was like a challenge over her control.

Suddenly, a rustle came from a nearby bush. Sakura didn’t waste the second’s hesitance and pushed her body to move. As she turned, she grabbed the kunai and reached her hand out behind her. Even though there was nothing more than an abnormal blanket of darkness there, Sakura kept her hand outstretched and pulled. Like a curtain shielding a window, she pulled a literal fabric of darkness and threw it back in front of her where the moonlight kissed the dewed grass. All in one fluid momentum.

“Really, Shikamaru? It was just a rabbit. That was hardly a match at all. I couldn’t even rub it on your face,” she smiled teasingly at the pony-tailed man pinned under the sharp end of her kunai and straddled by her legs.

“Clearly you don’t know what a jet lag is,” he grunted. His every lazy self couldn’t muster the effort enough to push her off his lap.

Green eyes rolled, “Oh please. As if you crossed several time zones. There’s hardly a difference between Konoha and this country.”

“Exactly,” he pointed with finality.

With a dramatic roll of her head, Sakura lifted off of the dubbed Youngest Shogi Grandmaster.

“Get up you lazy butt, and give me a hug,” she helped him up and the other Leaf hero lazy looped his arms around her as she enveloped his waist, “I admit I was surprised to get your missive, but it’s not so bad. I’ve been dying to see a familiar face. How is everybody?”

“Pretty much the same,” he shrugged when they pulled apart, “Except Naruto’s been frequenting the tower for the last few days.”

A pink brow raised in amusement as she found a suitable rock to sit on, “Oh yeah? What’s he bothering his dad about now?”

“Something like ‘I wanna go on an adventure like Sakura-chan!’,” he raised the pitch of his voice in a mock attempt to copy the hyperactive blonde, “He’s a bit pissed that I got a mission outside Fire Country while he’s not. Just a side note, I came across a kid with a shadow-related quirk but he’s got a bird’s head. It’s kinda weird.”

“That Naruto,” she shook her head. Amongst all those whom she exchanged letters with, Naruto was the most curious and voluminous in his opinion regarding her misadventures here in Japan. “There are a lot of weird people here, Shikamaru. Hopefully, you don’t have to meet them. Speaking of which, how long are you staying here?”

She knew better than to ask about his mission assignment. They may be shogi-partners and fellow Jou-ranked Heroes but a mission is exclusive and classified against those not involved. Then again, being people of authority, Sakura and Shikamaru are free to share their mission objectives to each other if they want.

“Indefinite. I’ve been ordered to assassinate some embezzler after selling some fake goods and weapons at the capitol and get back the money. The old man, Lord Daimyo, was definitely not happy.”

“Let me guess. This guy thought he could get away by escaping to the Outside Nations?” Sakura groaned at Shikamaru’s nod. Not at all deterred by the fact the man before her talked about killing someone as if it was a chore (knowing Shikamaru, it probably was). Instead she felt disappointed at the criminal-soon-to-be-dead-man. Just because Konoha doesn’t want anything to do with the Outsiders and wish to interact with them as little as possible, doesn’t mean those countries are a safe haven to escape to. Once Konoha deemed someone a criminal or a villain, even if they escape to another country, Leaf Heroes would swoop in the dead of the night and slit their throats before anyone could realize what just happened.

Shikamaru continued, “After that I’m to be on stand-by and await further orders. Between you and me, I wouldn’t mind camping the rest of my assignment in his mediocre forest. I haven’t been here long and I already hate this urban environment. You have my kudos for sucking it up for this long. Oh, you mind?”

Sakura waved her hand dismissively and Shikamaru proceeded to light a cigarette from the box in his Jou-ranked issued flak jacket. He took a long drag of the stick before exhaling the smoke up towards the dark, starless sky.

“Oh, and you’re also supposed to give me a heads up on the heroes in this country. Their No. 1 is here in this city, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. I just worked with him yesterday. He made quite the impression actually. In my opinion, he’s at least a Kage’s power level when it comes to raw power. I haven’t seen much technique out of him aside from punching his enemies to bits. You won’t miss him. He’s big, blonde, and loud.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” he took another drag off his cigarette. The gray smoke escaped between his nose and mouth, “You’d scale his power by that much?”

“Now, now, Shikamaru. Remember, these Outsiders don’t have the same discipline and spiritual training over their quirks just like we do. I’ve seen them train first hand and all they do is strength and endurance training, and knowing the limits of their quirks. I’ve never seen a single one of them meditate. Not even my own employer. I doubt they could even sense another’s Quirk Aura unless it hits them on the face.” Her tone of voice was serious and with regard to these people despite the almost-mocking words she just said, “Anyway, my advice for you is to just keep your distance and refrain from engaging. I sense something wrong with this All Might fellow but I doubt you’d want the attention anyway.”

“Got it,” he merely nodded after that and pushed his back from the tree he’s leaning against throughout the whole conversation. Shikamaru turned on his heel and walked away to the opposite direction after snuffing the cigarette at the base of his boots, “I’d better get this thing over with. I’ll crash in your place once I delivered the pig’s head.”

“Just remember that I have two house rules. One, clean up after yourself and two, my apartment is a smoke-free area so feel free to do your business on the roof. Hayabusa enters through the terrace and he doesn’t like the smell of cigarettes either,” she ignored his ‘What a drag’ comment and continued, “I’ll be sure to leave a blanket out so you can sleep on the sofa bed in the living room.”

Without turning his head, he only raised a hand in farewell before the shadows seemed to swallow him into the abyss. A second later she felt his presence whoosh away.

Sakura chose that moment to head back to her apartment as well. Maybe she could catch a few light snoozes before meeting with Toshinori later before lunch.

On her way back, the dark night showed signs of a lighter tinge in color. Indicating dawn’s approach. The pink-haired hero made a quick stop to an early-bird market and did a quick grocery shopping before continuing on her way back. This time to the roofs.

The second she passed by the Hero Association’s Headquarters, Sakura felt a presence following her at a respectable distance away. Whoever was following her was showing no signs of killing intent but they weren’t being clear of why they were following her either. They’re not even trying to close the gap to catch up to her.

Wanting to test her stalker’s intentions, Sakura turned sharply on her heel and practically zoomed at a different direction that would’ve made Gran Torino proud. The presence faltered a bit before it changed course towards her direction as well. Sakura headed straight towards a construction site halfway done from making a tall building. She maneuvered between metal beams, ran up and down cranes, and slipped down floor levels only to run by the skeletal framework again. The pinkette kept at it for almost an hour that by the time she’s had enough, the entire sky was painted a hue of orange over blues.

She was heading straight for the topmost floor when she felt her stalker right at her tail. She figured they began to treat this unofficial race halfway through chasing her around the constructions site. By the time her stalker landed the top floor, she was nowhere to be found. Almost as if she vanished into thin air. That was until she took that measly second to appear with her fist pulled back.

Golden eyes widened exponentially at her sudden appearance and rose his hands up in defense. A part of Sakura was impressed at the young man’s quick reflexes. Although she made sure to control her strength and not hit her stalker’s face, the wind pressure alone from her punch sent the metal beams around them rattling and literally ruffled the feathers of enormous red wings.

By the time the wind settled, Sakura had relaxed her posture and the blonde before her peeked between his gloved fingers. When he cautiously put his arms down, his hands hit something and that’s when he realized that he’s been pushed back enough that it skidded him back to the nearest wall without him noticing.

Before Sakura could ask who he was, the blonde’s bewildered face instantly brightened like a child finally seeing a candy store.

“Powerful _and_ fast? Pretty lady, those tabloids about you don’t do you justice!” he exclaimed excitedly with a huge grin on his face.

Sakura blinked in confusion, “Uhh… thank you? Why were you following me?” 

The blonde flapped his wings once to lift him up over the unfinished wall as he sat casually with a huge grin still painting his boyish face, “I was just on my way to give my bi annual report to HQ when I saw you pass by. See, I’m a big fan of Endeavor’s so I was really surprised that the prideful Flame Hero got himself a Support Hero. I just wanted to say hi but instead you even raced with me and beat me! No one’s _ever_ bested me in speed before and I’m not even the least bit mad! You even broke my visor too!”

Sakura blinked off her confusion and stared at the blue visor the grinning young man held out. There were visible cracks running along from the sides. The revelation that Endeavor had an avid fan aside, of course her speed was faster than above average. Her former sensei, Konoha’s Silver Hound, son of the legendary White Fang, had a speed that allowed him to cut lightning itself, after all. The only person who challenged him for the title of the world’s fastest was their Hokage himself- the Yellow Flash.

“I’m really sorry,” she said instead, “I didn’t mean to use too much power. I’ll gladly buy you another pair, if you like.”

“Hooo? Powerful, fast, pretty, _and_ nice? Shamrock Queen, you’re the complete package!” he kept on grinning, “No need for that though. I got tons of spare. See?”

As if to prove a point, the blonde pulled out another similar visor from his jacket pocket while he tossed the broken pair off the building.

“Well aren’t you a flatterer?” she couldn’t withhold a giggle of her own. This winged man’s smile was highly reminiscent of her friend’s and just as contagious. Like an odd combination of Lee and Naruto’s excitement and Kakashi and Shikamaru’s bored half-lidded eyes, “It would be nice to know the name of the cute guy that tested my speed.”

“Oh, shucks you’re too polite,” red painted the tips of his ears, “The name’s Takami Keigo. Hero name, Hawks. But for you, you can just call me Keigo, pretty lady.”

Sakura cooed, “How sweet! How come I’ve never met such a sweet guy like you before?”

“I highly doubt it. My agency’s all the way in Kyushu.”

This time, it was Sakura’s turn to brighten, “You already have a hero agency? Well aren’t you a box full of surprises yourself. It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Hawks. Maybe we could race again some other time. Hopefully we could rule out the stalking part.”

According to the standards of heroes in Japan, that’s already quite a feat for someone so young.

Hawks laced his fingers behind his head, “Sure. That would be awesome. It’s great to meet you too, Shamrock Queen!”

Sakura smiled back with a grin of her own. At least the new hero she met made a good first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Hawks is BEST BOY!  
Looks like Hawks left a better impression of his admiration of Shamrock Queen. He’s even developed a little boy crush. Oh! And correct me if I’m wrong but I know that Hawks was born in Kyushu but I wasn’t sure where his agency is.
> 
> Sorry for the late update. I got a lot to sort things out on my end and thanks to @greenishivy for the better 'Quirk Aura' term!  
Hope you enjoy this chapter too!
> 
> Ciao~!


	6. It's a Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toshinori cops out. Meanwhile, Sakura and Enji finally start to get casual with each other and she finally meets the Todoroki siblings... well, only Fuyumi officially.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone's doing safe and staying at home during these trying times!  
By the time I've uploaded this chap, I've already posted an edited version of the previous chapters. Especially the first chap. There's not that much changes but I hope I was able to resolve all of the grammatical errors.

“Okay, hear me out, you two. You ready? It’s a brilliant idea. I guarantee that it will solve all of our problems.”

“Spit it out already, Uchiyama,” Endeavor almost barked at the stout man across his desk. Sakura’s own attention was instantly captured by the agency’s PR Manager the second he walked through his office doors.

He fanned his hands out to generate unnecessary suspense before confidently spewing out, ‘_Magazine Photoshoot’_. With a goofy grin, Uchiyama Sato hummed audibly to generate an immediate response from their boss before turning his gaze at her from where she sat on one of Endeavor’s leather sofas to do the same. He looked so proud as if his idea deserved an applause.

Unfortunately, the only responses he received were a tired, almost disappointed, sigh from the Flame Hero and a soft sputter from herself.

“God _no_,” Endeavor implored as he threw his head back and slumped his broad back over his office chair. His gloved hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose as if it would help stave off a growing migraine before looking at her and gesturing with his hand as if Sato was just a common furniture, “Can you believe this guy?”

Still amused by the manager’s proposal, Sakura shook her head and raised one shoulder before resuming to read the magazine on her lap. As Endeavor’s Support Hero, Sakura’s main job was to assist the Flame Hero with his hero work within his territory. Most of the time it involved capturing and detaining villains, reporting to the police, and rescuing people from the occasional accidents. However, on the days Endeavor’s sidekicks were the ones scheduled to patrol the streets, Sakura spent her time in his company building. Particularly, in his office. The couch set across his desk basically became her unofficial work desk where she would help with the occasional paperwork to decrease his workload.

Today was one of those days. But later, they would take over.

Of course, being Endeavor, he didn’t trust her with any office work at first, but he immediately changed his mind when he found out she could do her paperwork just as swiftly and efficiently as she was in the field. Though he’ll never admit it out loud, but Endeavor’s really relieved with the decrease of work on his desk. Unless the way his shoulders looked more relaxed said otherwise.

She sent a glance at her phone lying atop the coffee table next to a couple of binders stacked neatly atop one another. She was supposed to meet Toshinori the following day after the whole sewage-water fiasco. He sounded so eager the day before but he suddenly canceled at the last second. Saying that there was an emergency that he needed to take care of. Admittedly, she was disappointed. She was looking forward to that tour. She’s been meaning to buy some souvenirs to send back home to.

_But she supposed it can’t be helped. Unexpected circumstances happen all the time. Plus, he’s surprisingly shy for an older man._

“Oh come now, you two! What’s with those reactions?! This is a perfect opportunity to boost our public ratings!” 

At the mention of those almost-taboo words, Endeavor’s shoulders returned to their usual tenseness and even Sakura had to wince. She knew Endeavor’s public rating was bad but she didn’t realize it was _that bad_ until he started trusting her more with his agency’s internal affairs. She almost felt sorry for all the times she teased him.

_Almost._

“I’m sure you’re both aware from watching the news that the Golem Incident only became a bigger deal because of Shamrock Queen,” the PR Manager sauntered over from where she sat and made a rectangle with his fingers close to her face. A little _too_ close to her face, “People have finally seen Endeavor’s elusive Support Hero in action for the first time behind the screen and they’re _starving_ for more!”

Sakura reared her head back slightly at the older man’s beaming face. She almost forgot about the manager’s eccentric side.

“Your _point_, Uchiyama,” Endeavor slammed his fist lightly on his hardwood desk, “And stay off my support’s personal space.”

At his boss’ command, the over enthused man stepped away from Sakura only to start giving off his reasons with a flail of his arms like a showman.

“My point is, sir, that Shamrock Queen is our key to finally boost your image!” he took out his tablet and, on the screen, displayed some sort of social media site showing a list of words with the ‘#’ symbol before them. Sakura had absolutely no idea what they were but she seemed to have gotten the gist of it based on the way he explained.

Apparently, the people outside of Konoha adored these instant communicating platforms behind screens. If something caught their fancy, whether it be an event, a person, or even food, they would just type out these- what did he call them? Oh! ‘_tags_’, on search engines and the system would automatically generate posted videos, photos, and articles related to their searches.

Sakura had to admit it was quite innovative and she could understand why Outsiders were always so glued to their phones now that any information and forms of entertainment could easily be accessed and handed to them on a silver platter with just one click away.

She still finds it weird though but who was she to judge? The people back home have weird vices they indulge in too. Albeit most of the time it involved the physical and intoxication. Leaf Heroes were more concerned on how to survive in their Kill or Be Killed world. Even the civilians were more concerned on how they could become more useful to the village than anything. They were just wired to have that sort of deep patriotism.

Sato explained that people began talking since people first saw Sakura walk with Endeavor during his patrols. Things only escalated when the Flame Hero announced Shamrock Queen as his Support Hero. Though people began talking out of curiosity and the mystery about the pink-haired hero, it can’t be denied that the attention it brought her subsequently affected Endeavor’s.

It gave the public quite the shock considering he’s well-known to be the solo hero. But the fact that he hired someone again after so many years made people start talking about him again and in a different light. Not because they thought Endeavor had a sudden change of heart but the fact that he had finally acknowledged a hero to stand by his side. The public’s attention to the Flame Hero skyrocketed from there and the videos and pictures people uploaded online, especially the ones that showed their effective teamwork in the middle of a fight or rescue, greatly appealed to the audience. Saying they were a pair no one has ever seen before.

Endeavor was already powerful, but Shamrock Queen makes them indomitable. Whereas Enji has keen intellect, Sakura has sharp wit. And if he has charisma, she has peerless beauty.

_“They’re so in sync! The battles almost looked choreographed because of how well they move together!”_

_“No wonder Endeavor hired her! Shamrock Queen is amazing!”_

_“They’re a perfect match!”_

Were some of the widely agreed comments about the duo. Sakura could read the Flame Hero’s movements like the back of her hand. Maybe because she grew to be versatile considering her demand as a combat medic. Sometimes she would be assigned on missions with different teams and she had to adjust quickly to create a dynamic that will not be detrimental to their mission. Endeavor, too, seemed to know how to read her just fine. Though he mostly took the lead, his trust and confidence in her makes a big difference in how they work together. Just like during the Golem Incident.

Not just in power, but people made comments time and time again about their differing yet similar personalities.

“Though the public is more focused on Ms. Haruno, as your support, the attention will still subsequently affect you,” the PR Manager finished with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. He’s certainly believed he’s got this pitch idea in the bag. He suddenly appeared in front of her again, “She’s perfect!”

“Get. _Off_. Her space,” he annunciated. Sakura was too consumed in digesting what the manager said about how much she affected people to think about how Endeavor just told his own PR Manager off. Twice.

For a moment, Sakura actually thought Endeavor would agree with the idea because instead of just immediately dismissing it, Endeavor just ran his hand over his face and looked at her.

“Well?” Sato prodded.

The redhead heaved out a sigh, “We’ll tell you our answer later. For now, you’re dismissed.”

There was a finality in his tone that easily silenced the eccentric manager. A look of protest was in his face but knowing the kind of man his boss was, Uchiyama just bowed and excused himself respectfully. First to Endeavor and then her. Sakura didn’t just sit around idly to kill time during these days, after all. She made sure to make connections and acquaintances.

“_We_?” the pinkette raised a brow at her employer.

“You’re just as involved in this as me. If not more,” he answered before standing up. “But enough of that for now. It’s time to work.”

Though she wanted to ask more, Sakura pocketed her phone from the table before dutifully falling into step with her employer.

.

“He does have a point, you know,” Sakura opened. Unable to hold back her thoughts anymore. She had been mulling over what the PR Manager had said over the course of their short patrol. The sun had already set an hour ago and they were heading back to his office.

Catching on, Endeavor raised a brow as he looked at her over his shoulder, “I expected that you would avoid the topic.”

She shrugged her shoulders before picking up her pace so she walked beside him. His steps were two of her own. _Damn him and his tall genes._

“You said you’d give him _our _answer later. So it’s either you were going to order me, or talk it over with me once we get back. I figured I should just beat you to it,” she said knowingly without needing to look up at him.

He let out a harrumph and crossed his muscular arms over his chest in that iconic pose of his. Sakura walked a few steps ahead before she noticed he had stopped. She turned to see Endeavor tilt his head towards the restaurant to his left. Its bright signage added to the colorful city nightlife.

“Well this is a first!” Sakura beamed brightly at his silent invitation and practically skipped her way towards him before stopping short and narrow her eyes suspiciously, “Wait. Are you buying or are we going to split the bill?”

She saw the corner of his right eye twitch followed by a snarl and Sakura knew she just unintentionally hit his ego. That particular tell was the first thing she learned about him. She just can’t help being defensive, really. Too many had she fallen for Kakashi and Naruto’s eat-and-run tricks. They still owe her a few thousand ryo.

“I’m hungry and you’re asking nonsense!” he roared, gaining attention but Sakura just raised her hands in mock surrender. Her face were a mix of genuine apology and amusement.

_It’d be more gentlemanly of him if he didn’t act so defensively over everything._

“Sorry.”

“Just get in there,” he huffed and walked inside the restaurant. Sakura followed suit eagerly. It’s been a while since she last had some yakiniku.

“Give us the VIP table,” he said without missing a beat at the flustered waitress whom they obviously surprised by their sudden appearance.

“No need to go that far.”

He raised a brow down at the pinkette, “We’re here to eat and talk. Unless you _want _the attention?”

It was actually a rhetorical question. Endeavor wasn’t fond of prying eyes on him just as much as she. Although seeing them together has already been a common sight, seeing Endeavor and Shamrock Queen outside of hero work is still unheard of. And they already shocked the other customers into silence. Though Sakura really hoped it’s because of the fact that they’re heroes and not take it out of context.

“You have a point,” she surrendered and followed close behind him as the waitress ushered them to the inner part of the restaurant. They were led behind a shoji screen that showed a finer looking table and, obviously, a more private booth. No one would definitely disturb them here.

The second she sat herself on one of the zabuton, she couldn’t hold onto her excitement any longer. Green eyes practically twinkled from the tatami floor, to the scroll paintings, and the table with a built-in grill at the middle.

“Haven’t you been in a yakiniku restaurant before?” Endeavor broke her from her musings as he sat himself across from her.

“Oh contraire. I eat in this sort of restaurant quite often,” Sakura thanked the waitress who came in again seconds later to hand each of them a menu and glass of water. Not once did her smile falter, “There’s a famous yakiniku restaurant back home that’s owned by the parents of a friend of mine. My boys and I always go there whenever we could drag another one of ours away from his favorite ramen place.” she shook her head incredulously, “I still don’t know how he’s still healthy after eating ramen every day.”

“Your boys?”

Something shifted inside her at his query. It was something she was wholly familiar with and one that she had reacquainted with during the last few weeks. She felt the corners of her smile curve gentler as a fonder look painted her face. A wistful yearning reflected on her mint green eyes.

“Yeah. They’re technically my teammates, but I practically grew up with them. You could say they’re as close to me as my own brothers. I’m an only child though, but we’ve been through so much together that I see them more as family than just friends and fellow heroes,” her mouth just rambled without her knowing that by the time she realized what she just said, Sakura’s entire face heated a cherry red. For the first time, Sakura felt embarrassed in front of Endeavor. So much so that she pathetically ducked her head behind her menu as if that would help spare her.

Knowing Endeavor, the pinkette already braced herself foe his oncoming remark but all that she was met with was silence. When she finally dared to look up, Endeavor’s lips were fractionally parted as his teal eyes fixed on her. His expression was unreadable.

“S-Sorry,” she broke the awkward silence with a fake cough and a bashful scratch to her cheek, “I’ve been missing home a lot lately. I didn’t mean to ramble.”

He was silent for a few more moments before finally saying, “It’s fine. You’ve been away from home for months already. Do not feel embarrassed over something like that. You’re surprisingly sentimental.”

She knew he added that last bit at the last second, but she couldn’t help the grateful smile that tugged on her lips at his words. As shocked as she was at first. It’s always been about business between the two of them and Sakura’s only ever shown him this professional side of hers. So this slip and sudden sharing about her personal life, about something she held so dearly, made her anxious about what his reaction would be.

_He’s surprisingly understanding._

Thankfully they were spared from another round of awkward silence when someone entered their booth to take their orders.

Being well-versed in the meat-dominant restaurant, Sakura ordered a dish that reminded her more of home. As well as a bottomless order of their house-blend iced tea.

“You’re not going to order sake?”

Sakura peeked up from her menu, a hopeful gleam in her eye, “_Can _I order sake?”

The redhead huffed and handed his menu to the waiter, “Bring us two glasses with your best bottle.”

“And make it chilled please,” she added as she handed her own menu. The waiter smiled and bowed to them politely.

“I should fire him,” Endeavor said once he was sure they were completely alone. A delicate pink brow rose at him. She already knew who he was talking about.

“Don’t,” she drawled the word to hide the bit of warning, “Uchiyama-san can spout some outlandish ideas sometimes but even you can admit that his plans are good most of the time. It’s thanks to him that your approval rating hasn’t plummeted to the ground after all.”

He sent her a glare at that comment. Even though he knew by now that his intimidations don’t work on her, it didn’t stop him. Plus, it would be weird for her if he stopped anyway.

“He’s basically suggesting to use me as a leeway to boost people’s opinion of you,” she added with a wave of her hand, “Seeing a pretty face first would definitely get people’s attention.”

“I don’t need someone to help me boost my ratings,” he nodded at the waitress who brought them a bowl of karaage and fried squid rings to share as an appetizer, “I don’t even want the attention.”

“Well neither do I,” she plucked her share from the bowl and onto her plate. Sakura chewed on a piece of fried chicken before continuing, “But you have to admit his idea this time is really good. Even at my expense.”

Endeavor swallowed the squid ring he was chewing, “I thought you of all people would be opposed to this the most.”

Sakura shrugged, “Believe me. If I knew ignoring the media would get me all this attention, I would’ve answered to an interview a long time ago. I just never thought my presence would create such an impact. I expected some, knowing who you were, but not by this much.”

“Neither did I. I should’ve just burned your application form the second I saw it,” he threw her an almost playful glare.

“And yet you’re here, treating me to dinner like the good boss you are,” she brought her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks, a playful smile on her lips, “Either you’ve gone soft or you just like me. I say that’s a big leap in our relationship, don’t you think?”

“You know I can order you to pay for dinner, right?”

She stuck her tongue out at him, “Mean.”

The shoji doors opened and in came their food. Platters of different seasoned, raw meat were neatly displayed before them and they were each handed their own steaming bowl of rice. Noth heroes sat in silence as they watched their servers prepare the hot pan built-in with the table. There’s even a bowl on unmixed okonomiyaki ingredients.

“Would the guests like to cook the food instead or would you need assistance?” asked the waitress.

Sakura shot her employer a quick glance before smiling at the waitress, “It’s fine. We can take it from here.”

The waitress bowed dutifully before finally leaving them alone. Endeavor raised a red brow at her, “_You’re _going to cook? Do you even know how to cook okonomiyaki?”

The pinkette huffed, almost offended, as she grabbed for the provided tongs, “I know how to cook a lot of things. You’re not the only one who’s used to fire just because you literally are one. Now, which one would you like first? The chicken or beef?”

“Chicken,” he answered nonetheless and Sakura held her hand above the pan. Once she deemed it hot enough, she began laying down the slices of chicken breast in neat rows. Sizzling meat assaulted their ears and noses the second they touched the pan.

As they waited for their meat to cook, Sakura sipped on her iced tea while Endeavor drank from his glass of water. His ever-present flames dwindled down in consideration of the environment he’s in. He completely snuffed the ones coating his boots, considering they had to take them off for this booth, but the flames on his shoulders and face were still there. Albeit significantly less intense. It’s probably the closest Sakura would ever see of his nude face.

“Why the sudden change?” he suddenly asked after a bite of his karaage, “Are you feeling pressured? Is that why you’re considering Uchiyama’s proposal?”

She hummed over her drink to ponder over her thoughts for a moment until she let go of the straw with a soft pop; missing the way Endeavor’s jaw clenched.

“Maybe a little,” she confessed, “But thinking about it smartly, I suppose it would be unwise if I say no to this too.”

“How come?” he grounded; jaws still subtly clenched.

“Disregarding the fact that we both don’t like attention; public approval rating is still one-third of the criteria the commission uses for the rankings. Even if you say you don’t care about what others think of you, you can’t deny that their opinions still influence your spot in the top ten,” she squared her shoulders back and looked at him straight in the eye, “and let’s be frank here. The only reason you’re not number one, despite having the most resolved criminal cases in history, is because All Might’s approval rating far outscores yours.”

The flames on Endeavor’s shoulders flared and a scowl once again painted his face. Whether because she said the truth or for mentioning his rival’s name, she wasn’t sure. Sakura waited for him to cool down before continuing.

“I know you’re not the type of hero to pursue the limelight, and I really respect you for that; I can’t imagine the day you would willingly stand before the cameras. That would be very… uncharacteristic of the Endeavor I know,” she flashed him a small smile before returning to look down at her thumbs caressing the trepidation of the cool glass of her iced tea, “I do care if it will affect your position though. It won’t skyrocket your way into top one, but if it would help you relieve the stress on that, then I wouldn’t mind doing that photoshoot and interview. Who knows? It might even be fun.”

She smiled brightly at him this time. Her eyes closed as the corners of her lips pressed her cheeks up for that wide smile. This time, she missed the way Endeavor’s shoulders tensed and just took his silence as a sign to continue.

“As for the logic on my part, if doing this interview would finally get that paparazzi off my back, then by all means! See? It’s like hitting two birds with one stone! You get your ratings up, and I can finally shut those trash magazines up about what they’ve been saying about us.”

“Us?” he finally found his voice.

“Yeah. Apparently, to the marginal population who actually reads that crap, I’m your sugar baby.”

Endeavor had to rear his head back at that. Obviously put off at what he just heard. His flames flared up in anger.

“What?”

Sakura nodded and sighed tiredly, “I know, right? One article even said I seduced you for the position. That’s why you haven’t allowed me to do any interviews. They said you were too embarrassed to admit it. I’m pretty sure Uchiyama-san already knew about that part. That’s why he focused his explanations on what a good influence I’ve become. He wouldn’t want you to explode on his face.”

“The nerve of-!” he had to bite back his tongue before he could do something he would regret in such a public setting just because he couldn’t control his emotions. Though the way his flames billowed wildly with the nonexistent wind showed just enough how much it affected him.

Endeavor balled his fists so hard the fabric of his gloves audibly strained from the pressure. Sakura waited it out and let him seethe while she flipped and portioned the cooked chicken between them. She was just as peeved as he was when she first read it one night after passing by a convenience store. It had her hero name printed on it so she became curious. Sakura had to thank all her lucky stars for being able to hold in her anger until she reached the forest and practically decimated the area. It was all over the news. Thankfully their dessert raids weren’t public knowledge.

Sakura unscrewed the green colored sake bottle and poured her boss a cup. He finally looked up once she held out his glass.

“Drink with me?” she tilted her head to the side with a small sympathetic smile on her face.

The redhead graciously accepted the glass and downed the alcohol in one shot. He let out a ‘_pahh’_ as he felt the liquid instantly sear a trail down his throat before reaching for the bottle to pour Sakura’s own glass. She refilled his.

In sync, they raised their glasses to each other. A sort of silent understanding passed over them.

“Cheers,” they said in unison and drank.

It took five bottles of sake later before the Flame Hero finally felt the effects of alcohol numbing his system. He managed the first few times by using his quirk to ‘_burn_’ the sake, thus allowing him to stay sober and drink more than the average person. However, even that fun little trick could only do much before reaching its limit. She already knew, based on observations and after working with the man for the last few months, that the risk of him using his quirk was the danger of overheating his body. Unlike Sakura, who could fight for hours and hours as long as her (higher than normal) calcium reserves are full, Enji had to keep his battles short and overwhelming lets he burns himself inside out. Literally.

And thus, another reason why they make such a good team.

The pinkette nodded to him in thanks when he refilled her glass for the nth time. She drank the tangy flavor of in one shot before doing the same with his. By normal means, Sakura couldn’t hold her liquor than the average occasional drinker, unlike Tsunade. The only reason she hasn’t knocked herself out for intoxication, was because she’s using her quirk for an underhanded tactic too. Her frequent closing of eyes could easily be attributed to her trying to stave off the alcohol when she’s actually hiding the evidence of using her second quirk. Her mint green eyes would glow a shamrock green color whenever she used her H-Type quirk. She had been using it since they popped the third bottle to increase her liver’s metabolism. It’s the very reason why she could still feel perfectly fine whereas her boss already has a red tint on his cheeks and a looser tongue.

“-and then there’s Shoto. That ungrateful brat!” he practically slammed his fist on the table; clattering the newly brought dishes. High quality wagyu beef now sizzled on the pan. Even when he’s intoxicated, his pride was still unshakable.

“Ahh I take it Shoto’s your youngest?” she asked before taking a bite off her beef. Their talks shifted from work to their personal life. At first, Endeavor shared his personal opinion of what makes a hero, his complaints about All Might, and people and other heroes that annoy him. Sakura wouldn’t normally abuse her quirk this way but she’d be damned if she’d miss the opportunity to know more about her employer personally. She made sure to contribute in the conversation by sharing little facts of her own and voicing her opinions. If she ever mentioned something about home, she made sure to omit their names.

“Yeah,” he snorted, “That kid’s got an amazing quirk, but if he keeps rejecting my help then his skills would be no different from a kid who only knows how to show off!”

She watched him drink down his shot before refilling it again. Her hand cupped her cheek as she hummed sympathetically, “So he’s at _that _age, huh? He’s a teenager, Endeavor. They get into that rebellious phase all the time. It’ll pass.”

“I’m lenient with him because I know he’s going places in the future, but at this rate, he’s not going anywhere! Shoto’s going to be a great hero… An even greater hero that would surpass that American-wannabe All Might. I’ll make sure of it.”

There was a grim expression on his face as he spoke those words. But Sakura just passed it off as the alcohol talking. Still, those words of his really caught her attention.

“Oho?” she was obviously impressed. Unless the way her eyes brightened meant otherwise.

Ever since she got here, especially since the Golem Incident, she’d been hearing nothing but praises about the blonde hero that’s always smiling. From how great of a hero he was, to how children wanted to grow up just like him. Honestly…

_She’s getting sick and tired of it._

Sakura threw her head back and laughed out loud. She laughed so hard she had to clutch her stomach and tears welled from her eyes. This was probably the first time she ever laughed so hard.

“What’s so funny?!” Endeavor roared.

“Oh sorry, sorry. I wasn’t making f-fun of you, honest!” she spoke in between her laughs. The pinkette let out the last of her laughter before she continued; a smirk pulled at her lips as she propped her chin over her hand. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes, “I was just really impressed, is all. I knew choosing you was the right decision.”

Teal eyes narrowed at her, “You’re not going to say my words are morbid?”

Green eyes went wide, “Morbid?! You kidding me? That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard since I got here! I don’t know about you Outsiders, but back home, making a vow to surpass someone, is worthier of praise.”

It was his turn to look surprised. Albeit with his eyes widening only slightly. No one could tell the difference unless they were looking for it in the first place.

With a sincere smile this time, Sakura added, “I really hope your son succeeds. I would love to see that day happen.”

Silence passed over them as they finished the last the sake bottle. It was unspoken, and it would probably remain unspoken, but something changed between them at that moment. Like a _click_. Neither of them knew what it meant or what it would cost them yet, but one thing’s for sure, their professional relationship would become more casual than there.

“-ird…”

“Sorry?” she looked up at him before she downed her shot. That was the last cup of their, hopefully, last bottle of sake.

“You, Haruno… you’re a very weird woman.”

She felt a nerve tick on her temple, “Pardon me?”

But instead of another witty retort, all that met her ears were light snores and the bare face of her employer. Surprised and bewildered, Sakura could only blink her eyes for the next few seconds as she tried to comprehend what just happened.

“Geez, seriously?” she threw her hands up and rubbed the back of her neck frustratingly, “You couldn’t even give a girl a proper compliment when drunk?”

More light snores. Sakura rolled her eyes before taking out the phone in her pocket. She visibly winced at the time and moved her thumb straight to her contacts.

“Hello, Untenmaru-san?” her hand pulled back in recoil at the following bout of angry shouts, “Yes, yes… no, I’m sorry I called you out so late… Well, Endeavor and I got a little sidetracked… Yeah, so could you come over to the yakiniku restaurant near the shopping district at- yeah, that one… Great, I’ll see you then.”

With her phone tucked inside her pants pocket again, Sakura heaved a sigh and stood from her seat. She gently opened the shoji doors and was immediately met with the sight of a waiter snoozing by the side of the door.

“Excuse me?” she gave his shoulder a gentle shake and the young man nearly fell in his sitting position from surprise.

“S-S-Shamrock Queen!” he flustered before scrambling himself up; trying to act professional, “C-Can I get you anything?”

Sakura sent him a sympathetic look, “A pitcher of water and the bill, if you please.”

Relief washed over his features and the stab of guilt in her heart twisted at the sight. The waiter dutifully fetched her orders. While she waited for them to calculate the bill, Sakura returned to Endeavor’s side, who was still sleeping soundly, and filled an entire glass of water.

Sakura took a moment to memorize the redhead’s bare face. For a man nearing his fifties, age has definitely been good to him. she shook her head incredulously at him. Even when asleep, his arms remained firmly crossed over his chest. If it weren’t for furrow of his brows, he’d look almost peaceful.

“Come on, big guy, don’t pass out on me yet. You still have a bill to pay,” she shook his muscled bicep gently and Endeavor grunted with a small flutter of his eyelids, “Here. Drink this.”

She held out the glass of water to him and with half-lidded eyes, Endeavor drank down the water in measured gulps. His half-asleep state allowed her to freely use her quirk as she pressed a hand to his back, in the general direction where his liver was and helped his body process the ethanol even just a little bit.

The pinkette made him drink the entire pitcher and helped him make his way to the bathroom. When he tried to protest, she just shot him a glare that matched his and spoke to him in a tone she reserved for stubborn patients. It was at that time when the waiter came to them with a long bill to charge their meal. In a final act of pride, Endeavor slipped his card towards the waiter before making his way inside the bathroom with a subtle sway.

In the meantime, Sakura went over to the bar where a handful of the staff members gathered and bowed deeply both in apology and gratitude for letting them stay so late and for their outstanding service. She expected them to be angry, and she had already braced herself for a couple of shouting and complaints, especially from the manager who also stayed behind, but instead they replied her with flustered words and dismissal waves.

“It’s thanks to Endeavor and Shamrock Queen that our district is always safe and out of trouble. It’s the least we could do for the heroes who risk their lives for our sake every single day,” were the summation of their words.

Feeling deeply touched, Sakura willingly signed autographs and took selfies with the staff. When Endeavor’s chauffeur finally arrived, the Flame Hero came out of the restroom just in time and they escorted his wobbly feet out of the restaurant and into the late night.

“Come on, we’re almost there,” she whispered to him gently. Her hand secured around his back (because it was too broad to wrap her arm around) while the other held his arm thrown over her shoulder like he weighed nothing. She held him steadily as they made their way to the front door of his house. All the while she prayed it wouldn’t be too awkward to explain to his children, or worse- his wife, why she’s bringing him home so late at night drunk to the point of near-unconsciousness.

“Father?”

Sakura looked up to see a young woman a few years her junior standing by the door. The pinkette smiled awkwardly at, whom she could guess as, Endeavor’s eldest daughter as Untenmaru-san resumed her place on the other side to assist his boss after informing his daughter about what happened.

After a few surprised blinks of her own, the white-haired girl with red streaks flustered about as she opened the doors fully. Based on her state of attire- in pajamas and a blanket over her shoulders- it couldn’t be more obvious that they disturbed her sleep.

They made it pass the genkan but because of the subtle use of her quirk, in ordering his muscles to relax, he practically slumped over the raised platform if she hadn’t held him back.

“Whoa, easy, easy there, big guy,” she said gently as she positioned him in a sitting position on the hardwood floor next to his daughter’s feet.

“Where?” he grunted groggily, one hand running up his face.

“You’re back home, Endeavor. I called Untenmaru-san and we brought you back to your house,” she explained before finally turning her attention to his daughter. There was an odd bewildered expression on her face, as if Sakura had two heads. “You’re Fuyumi, right?”

“O-Oh! Yes, I am,” she seemed to have snapped from whatever reverie she was.

Relieved that she didn’t sound too angry, Sakura smiled apologetically, “I’m Haruno Sakura. I wish we could’ve met in better circumstances but for now, I’m just here to bring your dad home.”

Endeavor shot her a look but just brushed it off. She continued, “We didn’t realize it had gotten this late while we were out drinking so I’m very sorry for disturbing your sleep.”

“Ah! N-No, it’s fine just- t-thank you for bringing him home,” she bowed politely.

Sakura shot her employer a teasing look, “Wow, your daughter’s nothing like you, Endeavor. You should learn a thing or two from her. God knows how much lesson you need to give someone a proper compliment.”

“I’m drunk, not deaf, Shamrock Queen,” he scowled and his flames flashed around his face for a few seconds, “I ought to punish you for insubordination.”

“It’s not insubordination if I’m just stating facts, boss,” she looked up at Fuyumi again, “Anyway, I made sure to make him drink a lot of water so he shouldn’t have a bad hangover tomorrow. I’ll be leaving him in your care now. I’m very sorry for the disturbance again, Fuyumi-san.”

The younger girl stared at her oddly again and Sakura took this cue to turn on her heel and leave. Her movements were still graceful and fluid as if she didn’t just drink five whole bottles worth of rice wine.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going?”

Sakura stopped midstride and looked at her employer over her shoulder. He’s still rubbing on his face as if it would help brush off his sleepiness.

“Uhh, home?” she answered dumbly.

“At this late hour?”

The pinkette half-turned and placed her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. She didn’t waste the opportunity to look down on her boss this time, literally. Well, she _was _offended at his implication, “You’re drunk, Endeavor, not Alzheimic. And between the two of us, we definitely know who can hold their liquor better. I’m a big girl, hella strong, and a hero. Even if I’m drunk, I’m still sober enough to kick some villain’s ass. So don’t give me that crap because I know you know that I’ll be just _fine_.”

Because she was too busy warning her boss telepathically to dare and say otherwise, she missed the utterly shocked expressions from his chauffeur and daughter. The Flame Hero may be her boss, and she does respect him as she properly should, but when the situation calls for it, she won’t hold back in speaking her mind.

Because she’s not afraid and she’s definitely not afraid of him.

_Besides, she’s been through worse than just going home late in the night._

“Do what you want,” Endeavor said with a stubborn huff before taking off his boots.

Sakura let out a chortle before addressing the other people in the hall again. She ignored their shocked expressions, “Well that’s that. Have a lovely rest of the evening. Sweet dreams, Endeavor. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow morning. If you’re sober enough, that is. I’ll make sure to cover for you when you decide to come up late.”

“Shut up!” he roared weakly. Too tired to argue anymore at this point.

With that said, Sakura bid each of them goodbye- one more apologetic look for Untenmaru, a polite bow to Fuyumi and Endeavor, and a wiggle of her fingers to the boy with bi-colored hair and eyes watching from the corner at the end of the hall.

Two days later, Heroes Weekly released their newest issue with Endeavor and Shamrock Queen on the front cover. They were immediately sold out before lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Sakura, how she misunderstood Endeavor's determination to raise Shoto to beat All Might.  
For the next chapter, I'm torn between putting in Toshinori or Shoto so do tell me which character you would like to see next!
> 
> So how do you guys like my take on the magazine cover? Like it? If you guys are interested to see more of my art, do visit me on my Tumblr @jingmcastle
> 
> I remember when my friends and I went to this yakiniku restaurant. We stayed in there for HOURS. Thankfully, the service was amazing and the staff were very accommodating. We didn't get drunk and we didn't stay THAT late unlike Sakura and Endeavor but we weren't causing trouble to the other customers so we weren't kicked out anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> That’s chapter 1!  
What do you guys think would be a suitable hero name for Sakura? Do let me know! If I ever chose one, I’ll make sure to credit it back to you.  
Ciao~!


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